Foreshadowing Rancor
by Zephyrus Genesis
Summary: Our memories bind our hearts with those we know. So how is it that chains form with those whom we've never met? What is the connection, if it is not our memories shared?
1. Prologue

_For God so loved the world, he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have ever lasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  
><em>_He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  
><em>**~John 3:16-18**

_Our memories bind our hearts with those we know._

_So how is it that chains form with those whom we've never met?_

_What is the connection, if it is not our memories shared?_

/\/\/\/\

**Prologue**

Warmth was the first thing she was aware of. Like basking in the sun after a swim in cool water, with the accompanying sense of drowsy contentedness included as well.

Drowsy violet opened slowly, only to close again at the sudden influx of light. _Well, I was somewhat right..._

Moving an arm from its bracing position behind her head, she shielded her eyes from the sun's rays. Glassy eyes focused, blinked in confusion, and then focused again. A puzzled frown formed.

_Where…am I?_

Another blink, then she sat up from her lounging position. With a large yawn, she stretched out, arching her back as she tried to work out the sleep-caused stiffness. Rolling her shoulders, she straightened up. The resulting cracks sounding from her joints and vertebrae hinted that she had been lying there for quite some time.

A whistle sounded somewhere in the not-so-far distance.

A fair skinned hand brushed ebony hair from the violet eyes as equally dark brows furrowed.

_A train?_

Bemused, she stepped forward . _Almost Venetian Gothic architecture…_ she noted. _Off white in color but cast golden-yellow by the late afternoon sun._ A pause. A growing sense of familiarity. "What is this place?" she wondered aloud, perturbed by the sense of déjà vu despite the fact that she _knew_ she had never been here before.

Twisting her head, she glanced at the wall she had initially been leaning against, revealed a large clock face above her.

_Wait…_ Violet eyes narrowed, _the clock face is wrong…there's a Roman Numeral 1 at the top rather than a 12-_

Realization struck her like a sledgehammer. Hair whipped her face as she spun back around and stared at the town below, eyes suddenly wide with disbelief.

"Twilight Town?" A soft whisper, "but… how?"

Astonishment gave way to puzzlement. Closing her eyes, she leaned back on her feet, folding her arms and tucking in her chin. _Last thing I remember…_she strained for the memory, _was…walking down a street, then…_ Perplexed, she was startled to realize that there was a _gap_ between that simple action and her recent awakening.

What could have happened?

_A lot, probably,_ she decided,_ but I'll have to figure it out later, after I've gotten some level of stability._

Food, shelter, a somewhat stable schedule and the things necessary to live somewhat comfortable, _that_ held greater priority than puzzling out answers she may not even find.

Out of habit, she groped for her wallet and was mildly surprised to discover it still on her person.

_No,_ she realized as she held it up, _this isn't my _wallet_._ A mildly amused smile tugged at her lips as she eyed the red Heartless emblem embroidered on the back of the suede leather pouch. _Though…I can appreciate the humor behind it._

Blowing a stray bang from her face, she opened the pouch and was made aware of another oddity. Within the pouch was a fair amount of munny, the currency used in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, though she couldn't discern the precise amount.

Munny was spherical in shape, not unlike marbles, and came in three sizes, small, medium and large, each worth a different amount. The small were worth one, the medium, five, and the large, twenty. The curiosity was how the amount was so easily contained within the small pouch, which didn't even look half-way full.

_I suppose it makes sense,_ she supposed, _in the game the munny size is exaggerated so the player can find it when it's dropped. So of course it would be smaller in reality._ In reality they were about the sizes of a dime, a quarter, and a fifty-cent piece respectively.

Despite this interesting bit of trivia, it was the pouch that really held her curiosity. It vaguely reminded her of the 'pocket space' used in cartoons where, in many cases, a female character would store a giant mallet for knocking a hapless male character into what was affectionately called L.E.O, or 'Low Earth Orbit'. Amy Rose from Sonic X, or Akane Tendo from Ranma ½ are simply two characters that came to mind.

A lesser advertized use of the pocket space could also be found in the inventory of many video games. Which was a real shame because people rarely seemed to think about just how much stuff could be carted around, and how _large_ and _heavy_ some of it could be.

Replacing the pouch, she searched the rest of her pockets, eventually pulling out an unfamiliar key. Intrigued, she read the address tag attached to it.

_Tram Common, 17_

_A hotel room?_ She wondered. Violet eyes turned to the sky. She blinked. _It's…darker than it was a few minutes ago. _Indeed, splashes of dark violets and navy blues had broken up the solid caress of yellow-gold. The observation was accompanied by a faint sense of surprise.

_Apparently Twilight Town is_ not_ a town of endless twilight…go figure._

All the same, it would be wiser to get _off_ the ridiculously high clock tower _before_ it became a hazardous feat. So, pocketing the key, she moved to do so.

/\/\/\

As it turned out, her original theory was almost right on the dot. The key _was_ to a room, though it was an apartment building and not a hotel.

"I was wondering when you would come back." The receptionist spoke as she walked through the lobby. "Are you feeling any better?"

_Better?_ Confused violet blinked at the man, who quickly elaborated.

"When you came in and rented a room earlier today you just took the key and left without going to your room." A glimmer of concern. "You looked a little strange and I thought that maybe you were sick."

_If I was I don't remember it._ "I'm feeling better," _Don't encourage questions,_ "I was just a little nervous moving into a new town."

Eyes lighting up with understanding, the man nodded with sympathy.

With no further word-exchange, the girl made her way to her new room. Being on the first floor, it was easy enough to find and enter.

As soon as she crossed the threshold a faint wave of fatigue made itself known. Shutting the door behind her, she made a beeline to the sparsely furnished bedroom and tipped onto the bed. Resting her hands behind her head, she stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"So bizarre…" she murmured softly. "I came and rented the room before going to the clock tower, but I don't remember it. Where was I before that?" Brows creased. "How did I get here? _Why_ am I here?" Violet eyes closed as she sighed softly. "Maybe tomorrow I'll find some answers…" Another thoughtful pause. "I doubt it, though."

She rolled on her side, eyes still closed. A few minutes later, she fell asleep.

/\

_Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits that are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world  
><em>**~1 John 4:1 **_**((KJV))**_

**/\/\/\**

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters, sans Sable, and am writing this for my own amusement, as I do all my other stories.

**A/N**: As with Dark Horse Gambit, I take a fair amount of creative license with this story while using the Kingdom Hearts storyline to remain my backbone. However, the majority of my creative license will centralize on the hypothesizes that Sable comes up with, which are inspired by my own interpretation of the Kingdom Hearts gameverse.

**Acknowledgments**: First off, as before, I would like to thank Devaro Ayanami for his patience in editing my work and his comments when I use him as a sounding-board. Next I'd like to thank Newbie-Spud for his story The Interference, without which I likely never would have had the inspiration to write this story.


	2. 1st Day

_A hothead starts fights; a cool-tempered person tries to stop them.  
><em>**~Proverbs 15:18**

**The 1****st**** Day**

Morning seemed to come far too quickly. The sun's rays falling across the girl's face woke her with something of a start. Disoriented, she stared around the room with incomprehension before her mind began to wake up.

_Oh,_ she remembered, _Twilight Town, I'm _in_ Twilight Town._ Blinking sleep from her eyes, she sat up and then glanced down. _And slept in my clothes, apparently… _

Not really a problem so much as an annoyance, though she couldn't be sure as to _why_ it annoyed her. Just one of those things, apparently

Now alert, curiosity made itself known as she stood up. _I didn't look around last night…_

The apartment wasn't very glamorous or spacious, but it had a sort of homey feel to it and an atmosphere that made her feel relaxed. It was also fully stocked with both food, a few sets of silverware, and even clothing in her size. Exactly _how_ there was clothing in her size was a mystery she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to solve.

_It's probably one of those 'better off not knowing' situations._ She decided before a rumble of her stomach brought to light another situation. _I didn't have anything to eat yesterday…or, at least not that I can _remember.

Despite her well stocked fridge, she ate a small, plain, and simple breakfast of peanut butter on toast with a banana on the side.

A few minutes after, she walked out of her apartment.

Stepping out of the apartment complex, she embraced the warm morning sun on her face as she glanced around with a fresh eye. There was nothing especially eye catching or unfamiliar to her, having played the game enough times to be just shy of the ability to re-enact it.

_The Sandlot isn't too far from here._ She noted, recognizing the steep hill that led down to the aforementioned location.

For a moment, she had half a mind to head there first, before she remembered Seifer and his 'Disciplinary Committee'. _He is rather…impulsive._ She paused mid-step. _Do I _really_ want to risk being yelled at this early?_ A snort._ No._

Spinning on her foot, she walked in the other direction, instead heading towards Station Heights. _There's a bunch of shops there,_ she remembered, _if they're open, I'll check them out. I have the munny._

Mind made up, she strode on with a confident step, arms folded lazily behind her head as violet eyes surveyed the buildings as she passed. She noted multiple posters plastered here-and-there with pictures of large, foam-covered bats underneath the capitalized words '**STRUGGLE'**. As she strode into the first shop, the niggling of an idea was beginning to take shape in the back of her mind.

_I wonder if_- something caught her eye, _is that?_

Wandering over to the object of interest, violet eyes lit up with pleasure. _I wouldn't have expected something like this here,_ she picked up the MP3 player box. _Show's I shouldn't make assumptions when, apparently, I really don't know much about this world, oh!_ Her eyes landed on a clearance tag. _They're on sale too._

Admittedly, they weren't the 'newest models' with all the fancy features, but for simply storing and playing music they'd work perfectly well.

_Well, this gets better and better._ Despite the sarcasm usually spoken with that particular sentence, she was quite sincere. Apparently there was even the offer of music albums being directly downloaded into the player without having to take the CDs themselves.

A blink, and the pleased gleam brightened in recognition. _I recognize several of those titles._

Choosing her favorites, she gathered up one of the players and several of the titles she knew she liked and then went to purchase them.

/\/\/\

Striding into the shop, called Elmina's Workshop according to the large sign above the door, she glanced around. As one of the shops recognizable from the game, it wasn't so much to see what it sold as how different it was from the game she was curious about. The differences themselves weren't all that surprising.

Aside from being much bigger than the little stall shown in the game, it had a great deal more merchandise available.

_Are those potions?_ Curious to see what a real-life potions bottle looked like, she approached the shelves labeled 'healing items'.

_How do these work anyway?_ Gently picking up one of the potion jars, violet eyes scanned it inquisitively. She'd seen how they worked in the game, but for all she knew it could be completely different now. Paper unfolded under her fingers, revealing a small label.

_That's convenient. _

_To use, either toss over the person you wish to heal, or swallow contents for maximum effect._

_I suppose the game usage actually _does _work. But swallowing…_A slight tremor lanced up her spine. _Yuck._

"Are you going to buy something?"

The girl glanced over her shoulder. Behind her stood a middle-aged woman, staring at her expectantly.

"No." She put the potion back in its place. "Just browsing."

Aged eyes studied her curiously. "You're the new girl who just moved here?"

_How did…?_ The girl turned to face the woman fully, surprised and somewhat startled.

"We don't get many people moving here," the woman explained, eyes laughing, "so when someone does it spreads all over town like a wildfire."

The girl nodded in understanding. _That would make sense. _

"I'm Elmina," the woman, Elmina, introduced with a smile, "the owner of this shop."

"…I'm Sable." The dark haired teenager responded, giving a polite bow.

"Well Sable, if you need any help at all, please don't hesitate to ask." An endearing look. "Actually..." Reaching past Sable, she nimbly plucked several potions from the shelf and shoved them into Sable's startled arms. "Here, consider this a welcome-to-town gift."

Sable numbly held the potions, eyes wide in astonishment. _She's…_giving_ these to me? Why?_ "Why are you…?"

"Offering to help?" Elmina finished, "I know how hard it is to move to a new town all by yourself. As to _why_…I suppose part of the reason is that you remind me of my daughter."

Intrigued, Sable cocked her head slightly as she put the potions into her munny pouch, having no other place to store them for the time being. "Your daughter?"

"Yes," A nostalgic nod. "All grown up, she was moved out by the time I decided to come to Twilight Town to live."

"Do you still speak to her?"

A sad sigh. "I'm afraid not. We've lost touch over the years."

Violet eyes stared at the floor, abashed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be, I'm afraid it's me and my old age." A chuckle. "It's funny, I was born and raised in that town but for the life of me I just can't seem to remember its name."

Dark brows furrowed as alarm bells went off in her head. _Can't remember…its name?_

"But I don't want to bore you with my old stories. I'm sure you're excited to explore the town. There are several children around your age you might like to meet."

A blink, then a nod. "Maybe…" Then, feeling somewhat guilty for stirring up old pains, "Can you tell me a little about them?"

A thoughtful hum. "Well, there are two groups of youngsters I think you might get along with. First is Hayner's gang," A sparkle appeared in aged eyes, "oh they get into all sorts of mischief, but they're good kids. Then there's Seifer and his friends." A chuckle. "They're a bit older, probably closer to your age too, and they call themselves the Twilight Town Disciplinary Committee."

Sable snorted. "That's a bit arrogant, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh, they're not so bad, a bit high-handed maybe, but they really are a big help, most of the younger kids look up to them. They might seem like bullies but they really do watch out for others."

"I see…thank you, Elmina."

A smile. "It's my pleasure, and don't forget, if you need help with something don't be shy, my door is always open."

"I'll keep that in mind. Thank you again." Turning, Sable walked out the door—

—and quickly backpedal to avoid being run over as a trio of younger kids sped by. Violet eyes blinked with some surprise.

_Wasn't that Hayner, Pence, and Olette?_ Curious, she turned and followed after them at a more sedate pace. _No real hurry…I bet I can guess where they're going._

/\/\/\

_Just as I thought._

Standing at one of the entrances to the Sandlot, Sable observed as Hayner and his friends participated in a fierce verbal conflict with two older teens.

_Rai and Fuu._ Sable recognized, eyeing the former's bright red shirt and Hispanic features and the latter's silvery hair and Oriental features.

Movement from one of the other entrances caught her eye, and paused the ongoing argument mid-word.

Open white coat flaring with each step, blue eyes sharp with a mixture of amusement and annoyance, Seifer approached his friends while keeping his gaze on Hayner. Eyes now alight with intrigue, Sable moved to lean against the nearest brick wall in order to watch the prospective show play out.

"That was undeniable proof that we totally _owned_ you lamers!" Seifer declared as he approached. He studied Hayner's group with a look of haughty indifference before adopting a tone of bored curiosity, "So what did you do? Burn it?"

Violet eyes narrowed as dark brows furrowed.

_Déjà vu,_ Sable thought as she observed the exchange. It was _way_ too familiar

Seifer gave a short laugh. "Not that we need some photo to prove you're losers." He finished as he stopped.

"Replay!" Fuu demanded.

A dark glint entered icy blue as Seifer laughed. "Now you're talking!" he announced, slipping into a loose fighting stance. Flanking him, Rai and Fuu quickly mimicked the posture.

A little boy in an oversized floppy hat, whom Sable had not noticed previously, quickly got out of the soon-to-be crossfire.

_Vivi,_ Sable's mind supplied absently as mirth rose up within her.

She couldn't resist. A sharp snort of amusement escaped her, startling both groups. Spinning to find the source of the sound they didn't immediately see her because of her position in the wall's shadow.

_So much for 'not getting yelled at'._ Still amused, Sable stepped away from the wall and into the sunlight, chuckling all the while.

"How entertaining, watching you pick fights like little children." Amusement laced the velvety tone as Sable shook her head. Carelessly, she brushed a persistent strand of hair from her face as she eyed the rival groups. "Though I may not know the reasons behind them, if you ask me your actions are rather…immature. Wouldn't you say?"

"You're the newcomer?" Blue glared out from under his ever-present tuque.

Sable cocked her head slightly, bemused. "So?"

"These thefts only occurred after you arrived. So all the evidence points towards you." The self-anointed leader of the Disciplinary Committee accused, taking an aggressive step forward.

Violet eyes blinked in disbelief before Sable was overcome with a fit of chuckles. "Oh how quickly your accusations change. What motive would I have had to steal…whatever it was that's been stolen, when I've only just moved here?"

Seifer hesitated, unable to answer that. Sable shook her head, eyes sharpening.

"Instead of fighting like a bunch of immature children, perhaps it would be more fruitful to work together to find the thief?"

Seifer growled at her, metaphorical hackles rising. Sable sighed.

_How bothersome._ A glimpse of blue caught her attention and she glanced at Hayner's group. An idea quickly took form.

"Could I borrow that?" she pointed at the Struggle club.

A flash of realization flashed through brown eyes as the brunette tossed the club to the black-haired girl. Almost lazily, Sable caught it with her left hand.

Seifer smirked, holding up his own club.

"Think you can beat me outsider?" He taunted.

_I think I can._ Sable though, standing one foot in front of the other with her club gripped loosely in her hand with the 'blade' directed away from her body.

The two locked gazes, neither moving a muscle, as the onlookers quickly hurried to the sidelines.

Eventually, Seifer grew impatient and charged forward, jabbing his club towards Sable's stomach.

Unperturbed, Sable pivoted sharply at the last moment, letting the blade cut through empty air. As Seifer overbalanced, time seemed to slow. Sable smirked.

Reversing her grip, she swung upward sharply. The padded blade of the club connected with the boy's exposed abdomen and side. Rolling with the blow, Seifer jumped back with only a slight wince.

_I underestimated his durability…_ Sable frowned. _And he's not taking this seriously._

"Don't insult me by holding back." She rebuked softly, but Seifer heard her and, smirking, slid into a defensive stance.

This time it was Sable who moved first. Leaning forward, she darted ahead and swung in another upward arc. The blow was deflected, however, and her torso was exposed to attacks as her arm was knocked away. Seifer swung his club horizontally, but Sable twisted sideways and over the club, thus avoiding the blow as she reversed her grip again.

Spinning sharply on her heel, she jabbed it behind her in an attempt to catch Seifer by surprise. However, the boy saw through the ruse and quickly leapt back. Facing each other again, the combatants slowly began circling each other, waiting for the other to act.

Seifer darted left. Sable moved to parry—

_A bluff!_ She realized too late as the club connected with her side. Knocked off balance, she was off guard as Seifer quickly followed up with a vicious haymaker.

_That hurt…_ Sable noted as she lay supine, mildly stunned from the ruthless combo.

A sharp lunge of motion in her peripheral vision.

_Move!_ Pull knees tightly to chest. Roll back, resting all weight on shoulders and neck. Brace palms against ground by head. Push off, arch back, kick _out_—

Seifer quickly side-stepped, but was still clipped by Sable's rising handspring as she landed upright on bent knees. Spinning on the ball of her foot, Sable lunged before Seifer could recover.

A right-to-left upward arc knocked him off balance. A mirroring left-to-right arc. Step close, grip club with both hands, _twist_ and swing _up._ Seifer was thrown clear off his feet.

Back connecting with hard ground, Seifer _rolled_ with the momentum and returned to his feet—

Sable's club connected with his weapon's hilt, tearing his club from his grip. The weapon flew high, before landing in a small cloud of dust several feet away. Panting heavily, Seifer's gaze moved from his fallen weapon, to the club pointed at his chest, finally connecting with Sable's violet gaze. For a long moment, they held each other's gazes.

With a grunt, Seifer fell back, grunting softly as he closed his eyes in submission. Victorious, Sable straightened up, club held loosely in her hand, breathing deeply but calmly so as not to show that she was, in fact, somewhat winded.

In a flash Rai and Fuu were standing protectively over Seifer.

"Seifer's not feelin' so hot, y'know!" Rai shouted, eyes burning.

"Tournament decides!" Fuu agreed, gaze ice cold.

_That's right…the Struggle tournament._ Sable remembered the advertisement posters and nodded crisply. "I look forward to it."

Deftly procuring one of her potions, Sable tossed it over at Seifer. To her fascination, it automatically shattered above him, sprinkling what looked like a momentary shower of glitter over him. Refreshed, the other teenager slowly returned to his feet.

Satisfied, Sable turned away, lazily reversing her grip so the club hung limply behind her legs.

"That was so cool!" Pence suddenly shouted.

A sudden flash left Sable blinking back spots. _Ow…_

Smiling, Pence looked at his camera fondly. A white limb shot out, suddenly plucking it from his hand. The owner of the limb looped around the startled boy once before darting away, snaking through the air as if gravity had no hold on it.

Violet eyes widened marginally in recognition and Sable took off in hot pursuit.

"The thief!" she heard Hayner shout behind her.

/\/\/\

Buildings blurred past as the teenager pursued the Dusk. She hardly noticed when they entered the Tram Common, so focused she was on keeping the Nobody in her sight. Somewhere behind her she thought she could hear the others following behind, but had neither the moment nor the state of mind to glance back and check.

The serpentine figure slithered to the far end of the Tram Common, squeezing nimbly through the large crack in the bordering wall. Sable followed hot on its metaphorical heels, tuning out the pounding of shoes just behind her.

Like a circus acrobat, the white-clad figure danced through the trees, swinging around trunks and looping through low branches that grew beyond the wall. One could almost mistake it for a ghost.

"It's heading for the Old Mansion!"

_Hayner?_ Sable thought absently as a stray observation crossed her mind. _This forest is _much_ bigger than the game suggested._ Legs beginning to burn, she lengthened her stride in an effort to expend less energy.

The forest ended abruptly and Sable skidded in a just as abrupt halt. Knees bent, club held in a defensive reverse grip, she eyed her quarry warily.

The Dusk, for the most part, swayed rhythmically in place in front of cast-iron gates which were embedded between a high brick wall. Keeping a weather eye on the Dusk, Sable took in the decrepit mansion beyond the wall and the equally decrepit gates, only the lock of which being free of any trace of rust.

_In fact,_ Sable noted, _it looks suspiciously new…_

"What the…?" the startled cry tore her from her observations. "We can't get through!" Glancing back, she saw Hayner's gang, along with Rai and Fuu, pounding away on what looked like empty air if not for the fact that they were obviously meeting some sort of resistance

Violet eyes narrowed, catching the faint glimmers of hexagonal shapes flashing in time with each blow. The tell-tale sign of a battleground barrier, not that she hadn't somewhat expected one to appear.

Sable blinked. _How did _he_ get in here?_

Club in hand, Seifer glared past Sable at the guilty Dusk.

"This thing is causing trouble in _my _town." He explained without taking his gaze from the Nobody. "It's going to learn not to cause trouble the hard way." The Struggle club was brandished threateningly.

The dark-haired teen studied him a moment before nodding and turning back to the still stationary Dusk.

"_You shall not be allowed to stop us!"_

Sable jerked back at the passionate and completely _nonverbal_ declaration. _What the…?_ Frowning, she stared at the Dusk in confusion, then tensed.

The zipper-like growth on the corner of its 'mouth' slowly undid itself without any physical provocation. Upon reaching the other side, the 'mouth' twisted into a vicious snarl, the metallic 'teeth' of the zipper gleaming maliciously.

A shudder shook the Dusk's frame as it seemed to cringe in on itself before lashing out at them.

Ducking, Sable somersaulted beneath the airborne Dusk and quickly rolled to her feet. Predictably, the Dusk whipped about to try and face her again, allowing Seifer to strike. He lunged at it, swinging down his club—

—only to cry out in surprise as it the intended target seemed to contort like partially-melted rubber, flexing around the blow almost entirely untouched.

The Dusk glanced back, looking somewhat startled, before leaping into the air, coiling tightly around itself.

_I know that move!_ Oh did she ever, the whiplash-like attack Dusks tended to favor was like a cobra's strike, fast and hard. Darting forward, she slid in front of the stunned boy and braced defensively.

Landing on its head, the Dusk coiled around itself and then—

Sable collided heavily with Seifer, who then crashed into the ground in a painful heap from the sheer _power_ behind the blow.

_Unbelievable, _Sable quickly got up and back into a defensive stance, _that much power released in the attack, like releasing a coiled spring!_

Behind her, Seifer quickly recovered himself.

_This is no good._ Sable grimaced. _A Struggle club is completely useless against a Nobody, even one as weak as a Dusk, it just shrugs it right off! Only a specialized weapon can cause enough damage, but we don't have one. I need to do something_. She glanced back at Seifer. _Because I won't be the only one to suffer… _Violet eyes glared at the Dusk, the Nobody sauntering closer and closer.

Grip tightening, she clasped her club with both hands, eyes narrow. _I need more power. I need to _strike!

Ice coursed through her like a surge of energy. A hiss, and then she lunged. Leaping up, Sable slammed the club _down._

Shadows danced, dark whips flailed, the Dusk staggered back.

Landing on the balls of her feet, Sable leapt sideways. Blue melted to red, rounded edges sharpened under dark tendrils as she swung upwards viciously. The Nobody slammed into the ground with a bone-jarring _crunch_.

Sable leaned back on her left leg, right leg stiff, weapon arched over her head. The dark glow that had overtaken the weapon dispersed, revealing its new shape in its entirety. Sable inhaled sharply, and heard Seifer do the same.

_Soul Eater!_ A predatory smirk spread across her face. She could almost _feel_ the blade's eagerness to strike down the enemy.

The Dusk recovered the blue streaks along its sides pulsating rapidly. Twisting and coiling, it whipped out again, winding through the air like a flying serpent.

Sable sidestepped and spun sharply on the ball of her foot, swinging Soul Eater in an upward arc. The blade seemed to grow heavier with the swing, increasing the power behind the blow.

A perfect counter. The Dusk was struck head-on and sent flying high into the air. Sable smirked, but leapt back as the Nobody nimbly righted itself and swerved down sharply. It landed only a glancing blow, but it was enough to send her sprawling.

The Dusk dived again, aiming to smash its oversized head against her. Seifer re-entered the fight as he slammed his club upward—

—The Dusk was sent sprawling several feet away, much too both teenagers' surprise. A swift kick-to-stand and Sable was back on her feet. Grimacing slightly at an odd throbbing behind her temples, she moved to stand next to Seifer.

"Let's hit it from two different sides." She suggested.

Seifer shot her an incredulous look. "And how do you intend to do that? I doubt it will just _let_ one of us waltz past it."

The Dusk twisted to its feet, approaching with its boneless saunter.

The insistent throbbing in her head suddenly _melted_ into a sudden _surge_ of adrenaline as an odd urge, a directive command, made itself known.

_Pull, yank. Track, zone in._

_Push, thrust. Misdirect, disorient, confuse. Go!_

Compelled to obey the primal advocate, Sable went with the flow and her body _acted_. As if there were wheels on her feet, she slid sharply around the startled Nobody, faster than a heart's beat.

Blinking dizzily, she didn't realize just what she was doing until she saw the Dusk looking around in wild confusion.

_Reversal!_ She realized._ The Dusk's Reaction Command! So _that's_ how it works in reality._ A slight tremor lanced up her spine at the echo of the adrenaline surge. _What a rush!_

Suddenly remembering the situation, Sable snapped herself out of her momentary stupor.

"Seifer!" she called, getting a crisp nod in response.

Digging into the ground, she shot forward just as the Dusk whipped around to spot her. Soul Eater connected, and the Dusk was sent careening towards Seifer, who swung upwards with all his strength. Again the blow connected, and the Dusk was sent flying high into the air.

_Push, thrust. Misdirect, disorient, confuse. _

Surrendering to the resurfacing Primal Instinct, as she dubbed it, Sable used Reversal to maneuver above the airborne Nobody.

Drawback, swing _down_.

The Dusk slammed loudly into the dirt and grass.

Sable landed softly and looked at Seifer. The other teen nodded and they brandished their weapons as their foe rose unsteadily.

"_Now_!" Seifer yelled, charging.

Seifer sliced through the Dusk, skidding to a stop behind it as Sable moved in kind and cut through less than a split second later.

Spinning neatly on the balls of their feet, they again faced the Dusk.

It lurched violently, its body spasmed and cringed in on itself and then _burst_ into a brief shower of ribbons.

The stolen camera landed softly in the cushioning grass. Multiple squares of paper fluttered to the ground.

_Photos? _Sable frowned.

The feeling of iciness that had encased her arms suddenly receded and she glanced down in time to see Soul Eater fade and be replaced by the Struggle club.

Behind her, the dividing barrier vanished abruptly, allowing Seifer to rejoin the others.

Seeing no need to remain, Sable spun on her heel and strode past the other kids, focusing mainly on evening out her breathing. As the adrenaline rush faded, her limbs began to increase in weight, feeling like rapidly growing lead weights and leaving her feeling burned out.

"Wait!" Pausing mid-step, Sable glanced back at Seifer. "What's your name?" The head of the Disciplinary Committee inquired.

_My name…they want my name. I should give it then. _A small smile tugged at her lips _"_Sable."

Then she continued on her way, leaving the two groups to return the stolen items to their proper owners.

/\/\/\

White forms danced wildly about over the clock tower. With a type of nervous anticipation, the Dusks circled the darkly clad figure balancing easily atop one of the tower's spires.

Grasped gently between black-gloved fingers, a photograph fluttered in the breeze.

"So…" a contemplative hum, hooded eyes taking in the image. "This is who the Superior is worried about… Doesn't look like much…"

A stray breeze plucked the photo from the unresisting grasp.

"…This may prove interesting." The figure mused thoughtfully.

A swirl of dark tendrils, and then they were gone, as if they had never been.

Far below, the photo landed on the cobblestone ground, face-up. On it, startled violet was framed by loose black.

/\/\/\

_Why am I so worn out?_ Collapsing limply back on her bed, Sable stared blankly up at the ceiling. _Those two fights took effort…but they weren't _that_ hard, I shouldn't be _this_ tired._

— _Push, thrust. Misdirect, disorient, confuse.—_

Sable frowned in remembrance. _The reaction command, perhaps? Maybe it inflicted stress or fatigue on my body, or mind, _a wry snort. _What's that saying? 'It's all in your head'? _

A more urgent topic came to mind. Soul Eater.

The teenager held her left arm above her, clenching then unclenching her fist, imagining the dark blade's hilt clasped in it.

_Soul Eater came to me when I needed it,_ she mused, _so it must be my chosen weapon…but, why?_ She closed her eyes, deep in thought. _I thought it was only Riku's weapon…_

A thoughtful hum. "The keyblade, a weapon of Light. Soul Eater, a weapon of Darkness. Am I like Riku then? A follower of the Dark Path?" She wondered aloud, then chuckled. "How fitting if that is so. Even my _name_ is a synonym of 'dark'."

A frown marred her features as an even more urgent question made itself known. "Why would the Dusk steal those pictures? Roxas is in the Virtual Twilight Town…and I wasn't even _in_ any of those pictures…well, except for the one that Pence took. It doesn't make sense… "

—"_You shall not be allowed to stop us!"—_

"Obviously they think I'm a threat…but how could I be? What could I be that could threaten the Nobodies?"

A soft sigh preceded Sable sitting up, stretching up her stiff limbs. "I need…something sweet." She decided. "Maybe I'll try the sea-salt ice-cream Twilight Town is famous for….maybe even watch the sunset." A series of cracks sounded as she arched her back. "Yeah…sounds like a good end to an odd day."

/\

_God has given each of us the ability to do certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out when you have faith that God is speaking through you._**  
>~Romans 12:6<strong>


	3. 2nd Day

_Oh, the joys of those who are kind to the poor.  
><em>_The Lord rescues them in times of trouble.  
><em>_The Lord protects them  
><em>_and keeps them alive.  
><em>_He gives them prosperity  
><em>_and rescues them from their enemies.  
><em>_The Lord nurses them when they are sick  
><em>_and eases their pain and discomfort.  
><em>**~Psalms 41:1-3**

**The 2****nd**** Day**

_Interesting…that makes a lot of sense, actually._ Leaning back on her hands, Sable took in the beginning of the morning sunrise, having woken up before it began. Feeling very relaxed, she admired the way orange and gold crept in amidst black and dark blue, not unlike an ink stain.

As it turned out, there was a very good reason Twilight Town was named the way it was, aside from the fact that it's one of the 'in-between' worlds. Twilight, meaning both dawn and dusk, were its predominate status, rather than day and night like other worlds. For some reason mid-day and mid-night only lasted a couple hours each, and the rest of the time it was in near perpetual twilight. It was undoubtedly a rather interesting phenomenon, though not much more than an interesting bit of trivia for her.

_I think I'll ask around to find out how to sign up for the Struggle Tournament._ She decided. _It would be rather embarrassing if I didn't…and it would be good practice for me._ A glimmer of anticipation crept through her, violet eyes brightening marginally. _I wonder how Struggle Matches actually work, anyway?_

/\/\/\

_What to do with myself now, I wonder…_

Hands behind her head, Sable wandered aimlessly through the town, just crossing into Market Street. With the registration done, she didn't really know what to do for the rest of the day—

"Drat, we're still short."

_Hello,_ violet eyes landed on Hayner and his friends. They seemed to be staring at one of the bulletin boards. _Ask and ye shall receive._

Intrigued, she shifted course towards them.

Olette gave a disappointed sigh. "I guess we can't go today."

"Is something wrong?"

The trio started in surprise, whipping around to face her, having not seen her approach.

"Oh, Sable!" Pence breathed, hand over his rapidly beating heart. "It's nothing. We just don't have enough munny to go to the beach like we had planned."

_This seems oddly familiar._ Sable noted thoughtfully. "I'll help you get the munny." She decided.

"No, it's okay Sable." Hayner was quick to decline. "You helped out enough yesterday when you and Seifer stopped that thief."

_So prideful._ Sable hid a smile as she stepped past them to examine the bulletin board Want Ads.

"I'm bored and have nothing better to do." She stated, eyeing the prospective odd jobs. "How much do you need?"

"About twelve hundred fifty munny-Ow!" Pence tenderly rubbed the spot where Hayner's elbow had jabbed him.

"I'll meet you back here in a few hours then." Sable informed, pointedly ignoring the dark looks Hayner and Olette were shooting their friend.

Turning away, hands clasped behind her head, Sable started off towards the nearest address.

_A productive way to spend my spare time_ and_ earn some munny at the same time. Why _wouldn't_ I want to do this?_

/\/\/\

**A Helping Hand  
><strong>_I need someone to deliver some letters for me._

_Walls passing, faces blurring._

_A hand extended, a letter passed._

_Obstruction found, rail ground, air attained._

_Talons pluck, fingers release, gravity reclaim._

_Pole gripped, corner spun, brief deposit, paper given._

_Hill top seen, destination reached._

_Wood ground, hard stone scraped._

Sable slammed her foot down sharply, the borrowed skateboard all but leapt into her grasp. Turning, she met her employer's satisfied eyes.

"Good job."

The full pay was handed over.

/\/\/\

**Needing a Strong Back**  
><em>Looking for someone to carry some stuff. Anyone will do.<em>

_Brandishing blue, wood groaned, cargo sagged._

_Upward climb, strike trine_

_Airborne strike, heavy blow_

_Wheels screech, cart wilts._

_Hilltop reached, cargo stored._

Panting, Sable lowered the club and straightened up. The oversized crate now safe-and-sound in the garage, she turned to the garage owner.

"Thanks, you're a life saver. My back still aches from last time I tried to do that on my own."

In addition to the munny earned, the borrowed Struggle club was thrown in as an additional reward. A surprise to be sure, but a welcome one.

/\/\/\

**Wanna be Famous?**  
><em>Looking for someone to put on a great street performance.<em>

_Rise up, descend down._

_Block, pivot, swing on high._

_Rubber thrums atop padded blue,_

_before hurtling overhead once more._

_Loose stance, knees bent, ready to leap._

_Dive, block, send up above, never touching down._

_A game of finesse, of skill,_

_Not enough to keep airborne, must make a show._

_Wind down, balance on tip, roll across limb._

_Settle softly, coming to rest._

Feeling satisfied, Sable tuned out the cheers of the gathered audience, absently bouncing the ball on the top of her foot. _An interesting mixture of soccer, tennis, and hacky sack._

The girl in charge pays her eagerly, asking if perhaps she could come again sometime. _Perhaps I will,_ Sable mused, _a potential time-burner if nothing else._

/\/\/\

**Attention! Attention!**_  
>I need someone who can run fast and put up posters in designated areas!<em>

_Locate and plot, a route to track._

_Gripping pipes and leaping walls._

_Paper slapped to brick, moving on._

_Gauge and leap, grip and pull,_

_a gap crossed, a roof scaled._

_Tap, thwack, smack._

_Twenty placed, near and far,_

_A game complete, reward attained._

"I should come straight to you next time I need posters put up! That was the _fastest_ I've seen it finished." The Struggle announcer praised with a pleased grin as he handed over the required amount.

_Reminds me of Russian Parkour._ Even breaths, remember, even breaths. _I can see why it's so popular._

/\/\/\

**Bee Careful!**_  
>There are bees everywhere! I need them taken care of!<em>

_Yellow-splashed cloud, massing sting_

_Darting lance, deflecting block_

_Twirl and swing, duck and weave._

_Smash and scatter, wait and evade._

_Blue streaked swats, yellow across brick._

_Ow,_ Sable grimaced at the few beestings that had actually connected. _That stings!_

"Thank you _so_ much. I wouldn't have gotten off nearly as well as you did."

She takes the munny earned, and graciously accepts the offer of ointment and stinger-removal, satisfied by the grateful smile directed at her.

/\/\/\

**A Dirty Job—**_  
>Will someone lend a hand disposing some junk?<em>

_Power conserved, efficiency needed._

"_Two birds with one stone"_

_As much done in as few moves._

_A swing, a crash, rotten wood flies._

_Twice, thrice, done. _

"Not bad. If nothing else, you sure are efficient."

_All it took was aiming and some hand-eye coordination, nothing more._

/\/\/\

Up, and down, up and down, up, down. The munny within clattered together as the pouch was caught again. Striding back to Station Heights with a sense of satisfaction, Sable casually tossed the pouch again.

_That was quite productive._ She concluded. A slight twinge made her wince ever-so-slightly. _Though…perhaps I should stay away from any bee-related jobs in the future. Ouch._

Violet eyes scanning the area, she approached the bulletin boards. Hayner and his friends were already there, waiting. As they turned to greet her she offered them the pouch. Olette accepted it without a word and quickly counted out the amount within.

_Huh?_ Perplexed, Sable stared at the fraction Olette separated and then handed back. _Too much? I could have sworn I counted out the required amount…_

"We didn't want you to do all the work," Hayner explained, arms folded behind his head, "so we took some jobs to pull our own weight."

_Ah…_ "Is that so?" A knowing smirk drifted across her face. "Or were you trying to tend the bruise your ego felt when I decided to help?" _…Again…_

A flush blossomed over the boy's face as he quickly turned away. Thoroughly amused, Sable spun on her heel and strode away, snickering quietly all the while.

_Maybe I should go to Sunset Terrace…_ she mused. _I haven't been there yet, and should probably burn the excess energy I still have._ An anticipatory glint entered violet. _Maybe I should roof-hop there…_

/\/\/\

Sunset Terrace was not unlike the 'down town' section of Twilight Town, where the buildings were larger and packed closer together. Generally it was not one of the places where the youth of the town preferred to hang out. However, there was one allure that sometimes drew them over.

At the far end of the terrace was a high hill, affectionately called 'Sunset Hill' by the townsfolk. It was called so because, in the afternoon, it had a perfect, un-obscured view of the slowly setting sun and the vast fields and forests beyond the town's borders. It was also where, according to urban legend, one could see the illusive Ghost Train if they were lucky.

However, neither attributes were the reason to why Sable had gone there. No, it was because it was a relatively isolated, open location where she could practice with her recently attained Struggle club.

Standing broadside to the sun's rays, Sable held her weight on her bent rear leg, the club held horizontally above her head.

The raised elbow bent, her weight shifted forward as her rear leg straightened and slid forward. The club dropped to chest level with the advance and was thrust out full-length, her free arm rising back as a counter-balance. She held that position for five…ten…fifteen seconds, then retracted to her former stance.

Again weight shifted forward on her forward leg. A sharp pivot, the sword pulled in close then swung upwards with the spin. Then she returned to her stance again.

Thrust, jab, parry, slash, lunge. Slowly she cycled through basic sword motions, testing both different stances with different footwork. Better to find flaws now than in the middle of a fight. Eventually she settled on three different stances, each with their own benefits and flaws.

_The low loose-hand grip is good for maneuverability, reverse grip, and retaliatory strikes._ She noted, remembering the fight with Seifer as she swung her club back and forth experimentally. _But is not good for stationary positions or thrusts…and there's a delay when I need to use a non-diagonal slash…and it isn't the best stance to use if attacking first_

She shifted into the overhead stance, leaning back on her leg with thoughtful eyes. _This varies depending on how far back on my leg I lean…but overall it's good for sudden lunges and thrusts and rapid combos, fair in maneuverability, but lacking in defensive abilities._

Bringing her legs closer together and standing straight, Sable moved to hold it over her right shoulder, blade arching downward, with her right hand acting as a support at the hilt-base. _Excellent defensive abilities, but lousy maneuverability…probably won't use this one much._

Dropping the stance then stretching her limbs, another observation struck her. _Speed, Attack, and Defense…how funny, I have a stance for all three…and a defensive variation for Speed._

With a set idea of the stances she would use in the future, Sable decided to experiment a bit. Testing to see how some follow ups could be better than others, or how to improve her footwork, or simply seeing how her style could flow.

Slowly, as her muscles loosened, she gradually increased in speed. Faster and faster she fenced against invisible opponents, letting her mind come up with generic situations and letting the adrenaline do the rest. At one point she even switched hands to strengthen her weaker arm.

Arc up and twist around, bend knees and stab low, retract and defend. Twist and kick, follow through with a sharp cross. Reverse grip and swing upward as the shoulder followed after. Spin sharply and lunge, stabbing upward, roll behind the blade and flow into a defensive guard. Drop low, shift back, brace, then _lunge_ under guard.

Keeping her breathing steady, Sable straightened up, lowering the club. _I think that's enough for now…it's getting dark—_

A flutter of white, a familiar blue.

_When did they show up? _Inhaling sharply, Sable whipped around to face her audience.

"Not bad." Seifer commented, studying her appraisingly.

"That was so cool, y'know!" Rai pumped the air with his fist. "Like a sword dance, y'know?"

"Acrobat dance." Fuu agreed.

Vivi remained silent, partially hidden behind Seifer, his large yellow eyes stared up at her with notable admiration.

Forcing her nerves to settle, Sable studied the self-proclaimed Disciplinary Committee from beneath black bangs. _What do they want?_ Chin tilted up, eyes closing partway. "What are you four doing here?" She inquired at last.

A shrug. "We were patrolling the town and saw you up her and decided to watch." A somewhat haughty smirk. "There's no law against it."

Sable didn't rise to the bait, instead sending Seifer a level stare. Violet met aqua, both remained still.

Finally, Seifer shifted uncomfortably and broke eye contact.

Satisfied, Sable strode past them, pausing just long enough to study Vivi curiously, having not paid him any mind the day before. _Interesting kid._ She noted, observing the Heartless-like eyes, an almost luminescent yellow, before the owner of the eyes turned away nervously.

_Time to go home, then._

/\/\/\

Drifting. Sinking. Something…compressing her on all sides. A cold sensation crept across her skin, like an icy blanket wrapping around her. Unpleasant, yet, oddly comforting.

Violet eyes opened, but saw nothing but darkness.

_What is this?_ She continued to descend, the sense of compression gradually increasing. _Water?_ It _felt_ like sinking in liquid, but…

_The absence of light…_Eyes slowly slid shut. _Darkness…? This is…familiar._

Arching back, her head twisted around. She felt her body reorient itself, so that she was sinking feet first, rather than head first.

_Numb…_ she could hardly feel her limbs, was barely aware of her own motions.

Her feet settled on something solid. A metallic ringing, though notably muted, sounded in response. Knees buckled, her body still trying to sink. A dizzying sense of vertigo seemed to pierce Sable's fatigue-ridden mind. Weight shifted back in an attempt to remain upright, one foot moved to compensate—

Light burst where her foot landed, cutting through the Darkness like a razor. Blinded, Sable's arms flew up to shield her face from the sudden illumination.

Writhing tendrils of Darkness rose up, cringing away from the Light, as if to escape it. Stray strands wrapped around her like a lover's caress, embracing her comfortingly before vanishing with the rest of the fleeing wisps. In their wake, a metallic-gray floor became visible.

_Is this…an Awakening?_ The floor was a circular platform and the only source of light amidst the expanse of empty black. That much, at least, matched up with her vague memories of the first game. However, the image embedded on the platform on the other hand…

Lowering her arms, Sable looked down. A massive Nobody symbol stared up at her, mirrored by an equally large Heartless insignia.

_Where's the stained glass? The images of Sora and the Princesses of Light? This does _not _coincide with what I know…_ But then…she had only seen the version for warriors of Light. _Is this…the Awakening for Darkness?_

**Embrace your Darkness**

A jolt lanced through her spine at the sudden voice. _That's the…the voice that directed Sora and Roxas._ Relaxing somewhat, she stood patiently, not even trying to locate its source and instead opting to simply wait for it to continue.

_Though…_ A slight frown marred her features, _It sounds…vaguely familiar…._

**Do not let it control you  
>You must be strong<br>Your journey has been set for you.**

_That's not what Roxas and Sora were told…but…_ A wry expression,_ It is rather fitting, I suppose. I suspect I have a different purpose than Sora. Though…maybe the path we take to reach the end is the same?_

A glimmer of movement. Darkness swelled, rising up and then solidifying into three pedestals, revealing a double-edged sword branded with the Heartless insignia, a shield with the Nobody emblem, and a wand with the Bosses and Rivals symbol.

_The dream weapons._ Sable recognized. _But…darker versions._

In the games, which weapon chosen would affect how the player's stats developed, and affecting the stats affected how the player could fight and what attacks would be available soonest.

**Power sleeps within you.  
>If you give it form…<br>…it will give you strength.  
>Choose wisely.<strong>

Violet eyes studied the available weapons intently. First they came to rest on the sword, and Sable's mind brought up what the dream sword represented.

_The power of the warrior. Invincible courage. A sword of terrible destruction._

Her gaze shifted to the staff.

_The power of the mystic. Inner strength. A staff of wonder and ruin._

Finally she looked at the shield.

_The power of the guardian. Kindness to aid friends. A shield to repel all._

Ignoring the staff outright, her gaze lingered between the shield and the sword. Torn.

_Both have traits I follow…_ she thought, brows furrowed with indecision. _I wish to protect others…but I cannot simply stand by and deflect the blows, not when there are enemies to defeat. But the sword is not a tool of true defense. Which…should I choose?_

The silence weighed heavily as she weighed her options, before finally coming to a decision.

"They say the best defense is a strong offense, so that is the path I will choose." Stepping forward, she grasped the dream sword, pulling it from the pedestal.

**You speak with wisdom…  
>Your path is set.<strong>

The sword's form shimmered, and then broke apart into strands of Darkness.

**Now, what will you give up in exchange?**

_No need to think on that._ Sable turned and retrieved the staff.

**You give up this power?**

Like the sword, the staff vanished into Dark wisps. There was a long moment of silence.

**You have chosen the power of the Warrior…  
>…and have given up the powers of the Mystic.<br>You show much promise.**

The pedestals faded away, and a stair case became visible.

_Up it is then._ Sable decided, seeing no other way to go.

Cautiously, she made her way to the next platform. _I half expect to be ambushed…not sure which would be better though, Heartless or Nobodies._

The next platform differed from the first. _There's no image…_ Violet eyed the solid silver floor.

Uneasy, she glanced around, shifting to the balls of her feet edgily.

_Shouldn't I be _attacked_ by _something_ by now?_ A frown. She surveyed the platform again.

Still nothing. Then—

A _crack_! Darkness swept in, engulfing the grayish glow, leaving Sable floating again, though this time she didn't sink.

_What's going on?_ Apprehensive now, she looked around for any kind of clue— _A light? No…_ Violet eyes widened. _A beam!_

Her joints locked in place, her body refused to move. Fear rose up in her stomach at the sheer feeling of _helplessness._

Contact.

The beam struck her chest dead center…and just kept going.

Fire and ice erupted within her chest, within her _heart._ Agony erupted, and overwhelmed her. An anguished _howl_ sounded throughout the dark void.

/\

_A prudent person foresees the danger  
><em>_ahead and takes precautions. The simpleton  
><em>_goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.  
><em>**~Proverbs 27:12**


	4. 3rd Day

_My enemies come out at night,  
><em>_snarling like vicious dogs  
><em>_as they prowl the streets.  
><em>_They scavenge for food  
><em>_but go to sleep unsatisfied._

**~Psalm 60:14-15**

**The 3****rd**** Day**

A sharp gasp. Violet eyes snapped open, sweat-soaked black hair whipped back as she jerked upright with a start. Sweat dripped down the sides of her face, sometimes falling off her chin.

In, out, in, out.

_Can't breathe…_

Inhale, exhale, inhale…

A shaky hand rose automatically to her chest. No injury, no sign of the beam that had so easily pierced her skin. _No pain, either…_

Not even a dull throb.

"What…was that?" Her voice cracked.

Wiping off the layer of sweat, she stood up, wide-awake. _I can't go back to sleep after _that_._

/\/\/\

Fireworks sounded above the Sandlot, signaling the opening of the big event.

"Ladies and gentlemen," The sponsor yelled, standing at the center of the Struggle platform, "Struggle fiends of Twilight Town." Bright eyes took in the eager fans massing into the Sandlot. "It's time for this summer's most sizzling clash!"

The growing crowed cheered.

A smile. "That's right." Arms fanned out for emphasis, "today's the day of the Struggle and title match!"

The volume of the cheering increased until all the voices seemed to melt together into a deafening roar. Still smiling, the sponsor patiently waited until his voice could be heard again.

"Who will be the one to break through the ranks and take on our champion, Setzer?"

"Seifer, y'know!" Rai's voice sounded above the crowd.

"And who will leave today as our new Struggle Champion?"

"Hayner!" Olette and Pence declared.

"Setzeerrrr!" A crowed of girls almost _squealed_.

From her place by the wall, Sable barely suppressed a shudder of disgust.

The sponsor glanced up at the champion himself. Draped loosely across his shoulders, the gold-trimmed black coat shifted slightly as Setzer gave an ambiguous wave to the surrounding crowd before resting his hands on his hips. The Championship Belt hung lazily across one shoulder.

"Yes, the crowd is fired up, so you know what comes next:" The sponsor crossed his arms. "Let's—"

"STRUGGLE!"

_Let the games begin_.

/\/\/\

_Foam clash, duck and slide_

_Stab, parry, pivot, wait_

_Clumsy slash, nimble escape_

_Lunge, overbalance, an upward strike_

_A sloppy guard, a chiding jab_

_Foot to ankle, yank, upend_

_Unblooded, untested, weak_

_Striking sticks is not a fight_

_Let the rookies defeat themselves_

Unimpressed, Sable strode off the platform, defeated opponent supine behind her, just as she had all the others.

"Hey, now." The announcer spoke once the platform was clear, "It's time to introduce today's combatants!" An eager glint entered his eyes. "The four bad boys," Sable twitched involuntarily, "who struggled their way through the preliminaries!" A pause, the announcer inhaled deeply.

"Regular finalist and head of the Twilight Disciplinary Committee: Seifer!"

The familiar tuque bobbed up and down as the teenager in question gave a satisfied nod.

"Completely out of nowhere; who knew he'd make it so far _this_ year? Vivi!"

Sable wasn't the only person to turn their gaze to the little black mage. But she was only one of two who looked on with a deeply rooted sense of suspicion.

"An underground favorite and local attitude problem: Hayner!" a vague gestured towards the boy in question. "It's his first trip to the finals!"

"And last, but certainly not least is a newcomer to our town who has already established a fighting reputation: Sable!"

The following roar, while not deafening, was _beyond_ surprising for the teenager. _What in the…Seifer._

She quickly sought out the other teen, an expression of inquiry in her eyes. As if sensing the look, Seifer glanced back.

"_You told about the fight?"_ Violet eyes seemed to ask.

A smug smirk. _"Yes I did."_ Blue eyes answered.

Sable held his gaze a long moment, then looked away with a sigh of exasperation.

"So—who will win this sweltering summer Struggle?" Arms stretched out, eyes glinted with anticipation. "Who will take home the grand prize?" Weight shifted, a gesture towards the intricate trophy. "The _summa cum launde_ of Struggle—the Four Crystal Trophy!"

The sudden shrieks from the flock of girls sent shudders through Sable's spine. The cause of the shrieks strode, no _sauntered_, onto the stage. Silver hair swept back, violet eyes shone confidently.

"_And_ the chance to take on our defending champion, Setzer!"

With a dramatic flair, the champion held the championship belt aloft for all to see. The cheers increased as the excitement grew and anticipatory tension mounted.

"It won't be long now, folks." A bright grin. "I suggest our challengers go over the official Struggle Rules before we begin!"

A final wave, then both announcer and champion strode off the stage.

As she rested against the wall, water bottle in hand, Sable mentally went over the rules. A sense of amusement rising up.

Struggle was an interesting competition that, in reality, only partially paralleled with the video-game version. Originally, Sable had wondered how the orbs fit into it. After all, one could hardly maneuver _and_ hold on to the numerous little orbs that decided whether you won or lost.

_I'm rather embarrassed not to think of such an obvious solution._ A smirk tugged at her lips. _Velcro, what a simple yet efficient solution._

Each fighter was given their choice of special padded armor before the Struggle began. The armor was only partially meant to protect them from harm, its main purpose focused on the Velcro attached to it. The orbs, each about the size of a large marble, were then stuck to the armor.

The point of the game was not to beat the tar out of your opponent, but to dislodge as many of their orbs as possible while defending your own. Glancing blows were actually more effective than full-contact ones, so that added a certain element of safety to the competition, though accidents still occurred when one or the other fighter got a little too rambunctious.

Oh, and the matches only lasted sixty seconds each.

A soft chuckle. _Hard to believe I'm actually here._ Eyes drifting lazily around the Sandlot, she eventually examined her next opponent. As if feeling her gaze, Hayner glanced over and flashed her a smile and a thumbs up.

A small smile tugged at her lips. With the earlier prelim matches as a warm up, things would soon begin to get interesting.

Now…if only that foreboding sense of dread would go away…

/\/\/\

"Hey, thanks for yesterday."

One foot in front of the other, eyes half lidded, Sable shrugged carelessly.

Hayner's shoulders stiffened at the shrug off. "But don't think I'll go easy on you!" Bouncing on balls of his feet, club at the ready, his face was a mask of determination.

A smirk, a lazy flex of her dominate wrist. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

"Our first match of the Struggle finals will be between Sable and Hayner!"

A three second pause, and then—

"Hee-yah!"

The padded barrel-tip was thrust forward.

A sharp pivot, Sable evaded the attempted blow to her abdomen. Hayner overbalanced as he passed, she retaliated. An upward swing, red orbs scattered, Hayner crashed to the ground.A glimmer of amusement. _Now this is familiar…_

Retreat, collect the orbs, attach them to any open space in the Velcro.

A wild battle cry. Sable leaned back, the club ruffled her bangs. _Aggressive…_ Backpedal, twist torso just enough to feel the breeze from the blows. _But sloppy, uncoordinated._ Rear leg brace, reverse grip, meet the blow—

_Ow…_Arm and shoulder throbbed uncomfortably. _Powerful…_

Ram shoulder forward, height advantage, correct grip, swing _down_. Hayner's guard vanished as his weapon arm was flung to the side. Sable smirked. A low arc, the blue barrel hooked behind his knees.

Hayner yelped, flipping over to land heavily on his side, startled.

Shifting to the balls of her feet, Sable leaned over him, face thoroughly amused, head tilted almost playfully. "Are we having fun yet?" she hummed with a teasing smile.

A growl, Hayner swung at her head. Sable leaned farther, the blow passing harmlessly above her. Twisting sharply, the swing was reversed. The blurring club narrowly missed the teenager's chin as she arched back. The lean flowed into an almost graceful reverse handspring before she crouched and deflected the next blow, chuckling all the while.

The club swung low. Sable nimbly leapt back, landing in a low forward lunge, back-knee-to-ground, free palm down, a tempting target, a lure.

Too tempting! A lunge, a wide-arc swing.

Curled leg joined the rear, Sable dropped to her stomach, braced with her arms, and sprang-rolled to the side. A tight pirouette, she was on her feet again. She struck.

The blow fell across Hayner's exposed shoulder blades, knocking him forward, scattering his orbs.

He made to retaliate—

The bell rang out, signaling the match's end.

Sable straightened with a satisfied smirk, eyes half closed.

"And the winner is…Sable! This fierce fighter knows no mercy!" A pause. "And Hayner put up a good fight, too!"

A voracious cheer. Sable turned to her fallen opponent.

A disappointed groan, "Aww man." Hayner pushed himself up into a sitting position. "I lost. I can't believe it!"

A hand dropped in front of his face. He glanced up.

"Not bad, that was the most fun I've had all day." Sable praised as Hayner took her hand.

"I couldn't even land _one_ hit." He lamented, then shot her and admiring smile. "I guess you really _are_ good."

Sable smirked at the compliment. "You just need to flesh out your style. You're too impatient, and your coordination could use some work."

Hayner frowned, somewhat thoughtful. They turned to leave as Seifer moved up for his match.

"Out of the way." He barked, brushing past.

"You in a rush to lose?" Hayner jeered.

The elder boy ignored him.

/\/\/\

Violet locked with gold. A slight frown marred Sable's face as Vivi returned it unrelentingly, expression completely flat.

_Something's wrong…_ She thought._ There's something off about him…and that bad feeling I have is getting worse. It…couldn't be that…this tournament is running parallel with the game, is it?_ A glimmer of growing dread._ This event…just got a great deal harder._

"Don't mess with your elders." Seifer frowned deeply.

The younger Heartless-like boy broke the staring match and faced his opponent.

"Whew," the announcer breathed, "just look at those sparks fly! I guess Seifer didn't expect to fight one of his own boys!"

The staring bell chimed.

Vivi's head bowed, then he lunged. Seifer leapt back, Vivi followed.

"When did Vivi get so tough?" Hayner wondered out loud from the bench. He glanced up at Sable, who was watching the match through narrowed eyes.

Seifer was kept on the defensive, hard-pressed to deflect the rapid barrage of too-fast strikes.

A downward strike, he blocked, braced then pushed back. His club flashed, Vivi was sent flying back. A solitary orb was jostled loose.

"You're mine!" Seifer dived for it.

A big mistake. One moment Vivi was on the other side of the ring, then next he was there, crouched under Seifer's guard. Blue widened, violet narrowed. The club swung _up_, a sharp flash. A moment of hang time, then Seifer crashed down hard on the wooden platform, a handful of his yellow orbs scattered around his supine form.

Several seconds passed. He didn't get up.

Vivi won by default.

A deathly silence fell over the crowd. All completely caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events.

_His club…_

"I'm not sure what just happened…" the announcer stuttered, just as stricken. "But…the winner is…Vivi!" His voice steadied. "With an absolutely blistering comeback!"

All at once, the spell of silence was broken and the crowd roared at the unexpected victory.

…_for just an instant, it enlarged in size._ It seemed her earlier suspicions were correct. She pulled a potion out, and tossed it to Seifer as his other friends rushed to his side. Stiffly, he sat up.

Seifer limped offstage, his 'posse' flanking him protectively. He paused in front of Sable. The dark-haired girl dropped her arms and stepped away from the wall. Their eyes met.

"That's not Vivi." Seifer murmured.

Brown blinked in confusion. "Huh?" Hayner looked up at the older teen. Seifer's gaze never wavered.

"Thrash 'im." A low command.

Sable nodded silently. Satisfied, Seifer strode towards a shadowed alley. Despite herself, Sable felt marginally amused.

_Apparently they like noisy crowds about as much as I do._ She moved towards the platform, then paused.

"It seems like Seifer's withdrawn from the Struggle for third place." The sponsor noted, standing in front of Hayner.

Brown eyes lit up. "So I'm in third now?" Hayner punched the air with a cheer, "Aw, baby!"

Bemused, Sable glanced at the alley, just making out Seifer's form against the wall.

"_You dropped out? Why?"_ Her gaze seemed to say.

A shrug. _"I felt like it."_

A dark brow arched at the response. Turning, Sable moved to the platform, trying to quell the rising sense of dread forming in the pit of her stomach.

/\/\/\

"Keep it clean you two." The sponsor warned, his gaze on Vivi as he held out the clubs.

Gold eyes glued firmly to the floor, Vivi took the club and waddled off. Sable watched, and then took the second and took her place. Like before, the unnerving gaze locked with hers, not an emotion or thought visible.

"And now," the announcer spoke as the sponsor left the ring, "the match you've all been waiting for, Sable versus Vivi!"

_Relax._ Violet eyes slid closed, the tension in her shoulder's melted away. _Don't focus on troubles. What happens, happens,_ Adrenaline started to flow, _don't think, just _do.

The starting bell. A trace of wind across her face—

Eyes snapping open, Sable ducked to the side as the club swung down. Her rear leg bent with her as she coiled, then struck like an arrow, club jabbing down. The blow connected, orbs scattered. Sable turned the rest of the lunge into a twist, dropping to avoid an upward swing.

Shoulder-against-wood, she rolled back to her feet then threw herself back from a triple-combo.

Vivi cackled, a quick roll and he was behind her.

Sable pivoted around, leaping back—

The hair on her neck stood on end. Her spine bowed back, level with the ground. The rough barrel padding lightly scrapped her nose. Too close.

Vivi's club shrank back to its original size. Too fast for anyone who was _not_ looking for it to see.

_I knew it!_

Hands bracing as she rolled, spine bowed back, her chest then stomach _rolling_ against the ground, before she _pushed_ off and returned to her feet.

Coiling back, club overhead, Sable _dived_. Vivi leapt, rolling to strike her from above—

Sable's heel caught him. Around and _down_, he slammed into the wood boards, orbs scattering. From a spin to a crouch, her leg sweeping out, snatching his legs out from under as he tried to recover. More orbs fell as he quickly rolled away and back up to his feet—

Just in time to block a downward swing. Their clubs strained against the other, then Sable pulled back. Vivi overbalanced, Sable jabbed upward. The club tip rammed into Vivi's stomach, powered by both hands.

He crashed down again, this time stunned.

Sable darted around to snatch the fallen orbs just as the signaling bell sounded.

Her neck prickled, a shudder lanced up her spine. Orbs forgotten, she stood in her speed stance.

The perimeter of the platform flashed. _Another barrier._ Distantly, she heard the crowd murmur in confusion, and cries of recognition from some.

Light engulfed Vivi, Sable cringed back, his silhouette swelled and grew as faint smoke swirled up from it. It swirled around, and joined with the silhouette. It solidified, then the light vanished.

A Dusk swayed before her.

_Again?_ She tensed, in her peripheral catching sinewy forms at her flanks. Two more joined the first.

Ice coursed through her arm. Dark shadows encircled it, solidifying once more into Soul Eater. Violet narrowed. _Here we go._

The Dusks twitched.

_Pull, yank._ A familiar compulsion. _Track, zone in._

_Push, thrust, _Bracing, she _pulled_ from the command, _Misdirect, disorient, confuse. Go!_ and let it guide her.

The three husks collided, then fell in a tangled heap.

_There, I see how it goes now._ Sable descended upon them. Soul Eater swung, catching one in the middle, tearing it away. The other two separated. She darted between them, a roundhouse kick to one while the other got a horizontal slash, both went sprawling.

A blur of white. The first Dusk!

Her spine bowed back, the spherical head slammed into the floor. Sable's back struck the boards, the Dusk lunged.

Body curled up, legs tucked in, brace, release. A kick-to-stand blended with a dropkick, both feet connected. Caught by surprise, the Dusk fell back, pinned to the ground with Sable on its chest. Reverse grip, slam down, the gray-white head was pierced.

The Dusk _burst._

A flash of motion, Sable swung back. Scythe-like limb slammed into the wood. She rolled into a reverse handspring, putting some distance between them.

Both Dusks approached, Sable moved. Leaping at the nearest, she twisted in an aerial lotus kick, heel connecting squarely with the back of its head. The other lunged. A quick Reversal, and she was behind it. The Dusk jerked around frantically, looking for her, then arched back as Soul Eater pierced its back.

Like the first, it burst.

Annoyed now, the last remaining Dusk leapt up, winding through the air, striking out with surprisingly sharp feet. Sable leaned back, avoiding it, as the Dusk landed on its head and _coiled—_

Soul Eater blocked the second strike. Another Reversal, and she was behind it. Soul Eater drew back, "Check…" an upward swing. The Dusk was airborne. Knees bend, spring _up_. An upward Reversal above it, she tucked into a frontal spin. Her heel swung down.

Wood splintered.

"…mate!" Sable dived. Soul Eater pierced gray hide. The Dusk writhed, then burst like its companions had.

Inhaling slowly, Sable straightened up.

_The crowd's smaller…_ Some had probably fled when the Dusks had appeared. Hayner, Seifer, and their friends remained though, as did a few of the braver onlookers.

_The barrier's still up…that means_—

"Not bad…" A calm baritone, right behind her.

Whipping around, Sable leapt back.

Dark-clad gloves clapped slowly. "…Sable."

_That voice!_ Blood drained from her face.

The hooded face tilted slightly, intrigued. "I would introduce myself," he began, "But that would be a waste of breath. Seeing as…you already know."

"The Luna Diviner, Saïx."Sable intoned, shoulders tense. "…a Berserker." _How am I supposed to fight _him_ if it comes to blows?_

A soft hum, the hood was pulled back. Facial X scar standing prominent, framed by equally familiar light blue hair. Thoughtful gold studied her intently. Behind the façade of serenity, Sable could see primal madness lurking.

_Chances of survival dwindling to single digits now…_

"It seems the Superior was correct. Intriguing…" An absent observation, "A user of Darkness…and a threat to Nobodies and Heartless alike…" An intrigued look. "Suspiciously well informed…you know things you shouldn't.

Head cocked, Sable leveled a bemused look at the blue-haired man, violet gazing from beneath dark bangs. "How can I be a threat to you?" She asked at last. "You struck first…I simply acted in self-defense."

A grunt. "My Superior has given orders for you to be brought to him." An inviting hand was held out to her. "He will answer your questions. Why you have that sword-," A reference gesture to Soul Eater, "-when you're in danger…" a gesture to herself, "What the power is that is sleeping within you, and how to use it." Blue-head inclined. "Don't you wish to know the answers?"

_Knives hidden under cloth…_ Sable stayed rooted in place. Saïx sighed, messy hair swaying as he shook his head.

"Things are becoming complicated…" he murmured, extending his arm to the side.

Light flashed and converged, gloved fingers grasped the forming silhouette. The glow dispersed.

_Lunatic…_ The spikes of the claymore's sealed form looked no-less threatening. _This is going to end very _badly.

"My orders are clear. I am to bring you to the Superior, conscious or not." _Funny that's exactly what Axel told Roxas in the Virtual Twilight Town-_

_Relax…_ Violet slid closed, tension melted away. _Don't focus on what I _can't_ do, focus on what I _can_ do._

"By force then…" Wood creaked.

Eyes snapping open again, Sable dived to the side, tucking into a quick roll as Lunatic was swung down. Wood splintered.

Crouched, she coiled and lunged, Soul Eater streaking towards Saïx's exposed abdomen.

A nimble twist, an upward arc—

She didn't evade fast enough. A razor spike cut upwards across her chest, piercing both padded armor and the cloth underneath. Saïx spun, then lashed out. A heavy boot collided with her stomach, Sable flew back. The barrier caught her in the back, then ricocheted her into the ground.

Coughing, Sable forced herself up on hands and knees. A hand rose to the gash. _Not deep,_ she concluded,_ the armor took most of the blow._

Knees bent, she lunged, blade back for a thrust. Saïx jabbed out sharply, hoping to catch her, impale her.

Jump, tuck, roll, land. Spikes pierced wood, Sable ran up the broad blade. Brace, twist, _flip._ Her foot caught his chin as she back-flipped then reverse hand-sprung for distance.

Gold blinked slowly, a hand coming up to the quickly bruising flesh. Surprised. Massaging tender skin, he studied her with shrouded eyes.

Unease ran through her. _His eyes…his _hands_…_ A slight spasm through broad shoulders, fingers curling ever so slightly as if to _grab_. A Berserker's rage straining at its bonds.

"I have to admit." Suddenly calm, the collected expression seemed forced. "You're better than I had predicted. But, I wonder…" A slow, cruel smirk. "How far you're willing to go."

The dark cloak rustled as he moved to the side. Sable's eyes widened. _No!_

Petrified yellow stared pleadingly at her. _Vivi!_

The smirk broadened into a fanged grin. Lunatic was brought up. Sable _moved._

Her arm slipped around the small boy. Lunatic descended. She threw herself back. To slow.

Pain erupted from her leg. A hiss escaped her. Shoulders slammed into the ground, roll, retreat to the corner. Her leg buckled, then crumpled under her, blood oozing from her outer thigh. Nudging Vivi behind her, she glared at Saïx.

_This…this is _not _good._ Every breath, every beat of her heart, sent sharp throbs of pain through her. _What can I do?_

Saïx lunged, Lunatic raised.

Now, basic logic declared that one cannot block a large mass—such as a heavy staff—with a smaller one—like a stick— as the smaller would shatter and the larger would keep coming. Sable had the scars on her knuckles to prove it. The only known exception to this rule was Sephiroth.

_I can't dodge, I can't block,_ Her mind raced, _But…that might work…_

The claymore fell, Soul Eater rose up to meet it.

Metal rang, a gold glimmer of triumph—

—morphed into shock.

Twisting, Sable braced the tip of Soul Eater up and _shoved_. The blow was redirected, Lunatic sunk deep into the platform. A sharp pirouette, Sable kicked out.

Concaving his stomach, Saïx leapt back, abandoning his weapon to evade the blow. Sable leapt to her feet, pain lancing through her leg, and lunged again. Reversing her grip, the Soul Eater carved an upward arc—

Caught by gloved hands.

Sable's heart caught in her throat.

Hair bristled and hackles rose, eyes dilated and teeth bared, Saïx snarled, then howled like an enraged wolf and pressed _down._

Feet skidding across wood, Sable braced and tried to push back. Emphasis on _tried_.

Superior in both height _and_ strength, Saïx quickly began to overwhelm her. Sable's knees buckled, forcing her down towards the platform. Too long. Impatient, Saïx's hand shot out, flexing to grab her, _claws_ protruding from glove-tips

_No! I can't lose! Not here!_

Time slowed. Everything faded out, leaving her alone to stand in the Darkness, pain forgotten.

_What can I do? Even with his strength and experience over me, I _cannot lose. Violet eyes slid shut. _I can't afford to fall, not when it's more than my life at stake._

An image of Vivi, eyes wide with terror and helplessness, flashed through her mind.

Fists clenched. _Vivi… Sa__ï__x will _kill_ him. An innocent kid!_ Eyes snapped open, a hard gleam in their depths. _I Won't. Let. That. Happen! I cannot, _will not_ lose!_

**Well spoken.**

Warmth flowed through her non-dominate arm.

The world snapped back into focus, time resumed its course.

Left arm bracing, her right arm stabbed forward to catch the oncoming limb—

Saïx leapt back, eyes suddenly wide as a completely bewildered expression over took him.

_Huh?_

White feathers glowed. Her outstretched hand gripped an unfamiliar hilt. Violet eyes widened.

_A _second_ sword?_

Blue-tipped silvery feathers decorated the blade, a perfect complement to Soul Eater, a bird wing to its bat wing.

**Breath Guard**

The Awakening voice echoed through her mind.

**The guardian to your Heart…  
>…and Spirit.<br>Use it well.**

The weapon shown, warmth filled her body, empowering her. The sharp pains faded to a constant throb.

_This strength won't last long._ She thought, leaning back in her offensive stance, _Make it count._

She charged.

Though startled, Saïx still easily evaded the barrage of blows, his coat only suffering minor tears. A leap. He flipped over Sable, grasping and retrieving Lunatic's hilt, twisting to block another barrage.

Slash, slash, thrust, slash. Over and over Saïx blocked the strikes, feet set apart in a solid stance. Weight shifted back, a low grunt, Lunatic arced up.

A hiss, Sable reared back as the claymore cut a path along her outer arm. Pain unfelt, but balance thrown off. Her vision was suddenly filled with the oncoming claymore.

An audible _crack._ She wasn't sure if that was the force field or one of her ribs.

A moment's pause, then she was propelled forward, another study of the wooden platform. Behind her, Vivi still quivered where she had left him. A painful, watery cough, Sable pushed herself up—

Pain flared through chest and limbs. Breathing was a battle in itself. Her leg wouldn't respond, leaving her on her knees. The earlier surge of strength was gone, leaving her struggling to even remain upright, her breathing coming in pained, ragged gasps. Her swords felt like lead weights, she could hardly hold them aloft. Tremors wracked her body.

Again Saïx charged.

Desperate, Sable slammed her arms together, blades running parallel with each other and level with the floor.

A dark pulse ringed out from the blades, their tips lit up white and black, then fired twin beams. Saïx couldn't react in time, and both beams caught him squarely in the chest. For a split second, his face was frozen in shock, then he slammed into the barrier.

Lunatic slipped from his grasp, dropped, and then vanished in a burst of white. Then he slammed face first into the ground.

A long moment past and he lay motionless, then he groaned and stood up. Disoriented, he wobbled, gold eyes glued to the exhausted girl as she painfully climbed to her feet. Brows furrowed as he stared at her critically. Lifting her head, Sable met his gaze evenly.

Surprise in the other's golden gaze and, violet eyes blinked. _Is that…_fear_ in his eyes?_

The look was gone as soon as it came. Straightening up, face a calm mask once more, Saïx grunted softly.

"It would be foolish to continue…" This seemed directed more to himself than to Sable. "You'd be dead before I could get you to the Superior."

_Thank you Lord above for small mercies!_

"Though…"

Sable did _not_ like that look.

"This meeting did have its merits…" Saïx continued as if not seeing her response. "I now have a fair idea of your abilities, which Superior will be pleased to hear." Gold grew fierce as his voice became a low growl. "You may have won for now, Sable, but rest assured that we _will_ meet again. "

A swirl of Darkness, and he was gone.

The restrictive barrier shattered with Saïx's exit.

_Gone…_ Sable breathed, arms going limp. _Safe…_ Soul Eater and Breath Guard slipped from her grasp, clattering to the ground. Breath Guard dissolved into light and vanished, Soul Eater's shape blurred and as shadows receded from it, leaving the Struggle club in its place.

Shoulders heaving, she strived for air for a long moment before straightening up, a low groan escaping her. Turning, she limped to the edge of the platform and stepped off.

Big mistake.

Pain lanced up her leg, color flashed across her eyes. The world swam, gravity shifted, and Sable fell forward.

"S-Sable!" Vivi cried.

A strong arm wrapped around her waist, catching her before she could hit the ground. Eyes blinked blearily, she looked upwards. Weary violet met ice blue. _Seifer?_

The other teen pulled her arm across his shoulder for better grip and held her up.

"I…I can walk." Sable weakly tried, unsuccessfully, to pull away.

A snort. Eyes rolled sarcastically. "Yeah, sure…" His grip tightened as he glanced over his shoulder. "Gimme a hand here!"

Obediently Rai walked over and grabbed Sable's other arm, invoking a hiss of pain from the girl as he draped it over his shoulder. Turning the two headed towards the alley. Sable tried to move on her own, but her limbs refused to obey, then, her awareness weakened. Hanging limp between the two boys, everything slipped into an out-of-focus haze.

/\/\/\

Open, intake, swallow, gag.

Spluttering violently, Sable's eyes snapped back into focus. _Yuck!_ Shuddering, she shook her head, trying, unsuccessfully, to rid herself of the strong flavor that coated her mouth. _What was…?_ Disoriented, she tried to move, but a grip behind her shoulders held her still.

Soft chuckles drew her attention. _Seifer…Rai…and—_

"E-Elmina? Wha—why…?"

Eyes tender, Elmina looked down at her, empty potion bottle in hand. "I told you, if you needed me I'd help." She looked at Seifer. "Let her up."

Nodding, the disciplinarian helped Sable sit up.

Black brows furrowed upon feeling cool cloth binding her gashes. _Bandages?_ Violet eyes scanned the immediate area. _My apartment? They helped me?_

Another potion was offered, Sable blinked, then grimaced. _Bottoms up, then._ Shuddering, she downed it quickly.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Seifer spoke gruffly as Sable was given several more potions.

_Tired…_ Sable noted. _But…I feel better._ "How long was I out of it?"

"Only as long as it took us to get you here and for Elmina to wrap up your injuries." Was the response.

"The Struggle match?"

"Postponed while they repair the arena, and for you to get back."

A steadying inhale, she braced, then stood. Wobbled slightly, then steadied herself. "Shouldn't keep them waiting then." Blinking back stars, she hunched over slightly. Elmina and Seifer hovered protectively at either side, ready to catch her if needed.

"Are you sure you should continue?" Elmina asked, eyes filled with concern. "You should really rest, that fight with the blue-haired man exhausted you."

A wry but tired smirk. "But I'm on a role. Why should I stop so close to the end?"

An exasperated sigh, Sable heard Elmina mutter something about 'foolhardy kids'. She just smiled unrelentingly.

/\/\/\

After getting new, un-torn clothes, Sable returned to the Sandlot.

Violet eyes took in the pristine platform. _With how quickly they fixed it, one would think boards being broken was a regular occurrence._

"Sometimes one of the stronger Strugglers gets a little too enthusiastic." Seifer explained, seeing her look.

"Including you?" A soft query.

A chuckle. "A couple times, yeah, but Setzer really has a reputation for it. Part of the reason he's the reigning champion." Blue eyes looked down at her with a trace of concern. "Be careful."

A promising nod.

"A-are you alright?"

Blinking, Sable glanced down at her waist. Vivi stared up at her with his large golden eyes. She chuckled softly.

"I'll be fine, don't worry." She assured. Glancing back up, she caught the sponsor's questioning eye. She nodded.

He looked uncertain, but then nodded back as Sable limped onto the platform. Once in place, club in hand, she let her body relax, closing her eyes to wait for Setzer's arrival. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. _Steady breathes, don't use more energy than necessary to win the match and then get home._

Fan-girl cheers and the crowd's chants heralded the arrival of the champion. Eyes cracking open, she watched as one of the referees helped attach the orbs to his overcoat. She studied him for a moment before her attention was drawn to a referee handing her a new set of padded armor, the original having suffered a malicious end at the hand of Saïx, along with the accompanying orbs.

Once preparations were done, both fighters stood before the sponsor.

"You two play fair now," he warned, handing them their Struggle clubs. "You're at the top of the bracket."

"There's only room for one up here." Setzer declared casually.

There was a moment of pause.

"Well," a slight chuckle, "may the best one win!" With that, he left the stage.

The two fighters turned to each other, sizing the other up.

"Hey, Rucksack." The veteran spoke softly. "How about you throw the match for me?" A coaxing smile.

Sable's eye twitched as her hackles rose involuntarily. _What kind of person does he take me for?_ However, rather than lashing out she shot the man a half-questioning, half-annoyed look.

"Let me win," he continued, "and I'll make it worth your while."

A snort. "Now where's the fun in that?" Sable asked, sliding into her speed stance.

Setzer made to say something, but had to pause as the announcer began to speak.

"Sable, our underdog hero, versus Setzer, our defending champion!" the crowd cheered. "Whoever wins this match will be the _true_ champion! That's bragging rights for the whole year, folks."

A quick glance at the announcer, then Setzer looked back at Sable, leaning forward slightly, voice still low. "You have nothing to prove by fighting now." Violet met violet as he studied her intently. "It would be in your best interest to forfeit here and now."

Dark head tilted to one side, violet alight with curiosity. _Is that…_concern?_ He's concerned about me?_ Aloud she said, "I don't want to _gain_ anything." Her eyes gleamed. "I want to find the limits of my endurance. Besides-" A moment's pause, a crooked smirk crossed her face as she felt almost compelled to add, "What's life without a little risk?"

A glimmer of satisfaction entered Setzer's eyes as he dipped his head at her response.

Sable slipped into her Defense stance, pointing the barrel at her opponent.

The starting bell rang.

"My life is a chip in your pile. Time to ante up!" Setzer charged.

Blue barrels clashed and bounced off each other. Sable pirouetted sharply, dropping to one knee and jabbing upward. Winded from the blow to his stomach, Setzer stumbled back as several orbs scattered. Sable dived for the orbs during the delay while the man regained his breath.

He recovered faster than she expected.

Suddenly he was in front of her. Pain shot through her chest as he swung upward, sending her into the air. "And that's checkmate!"

_I'll show you checkmate._ Twisting in a lotus kick, she swung down sharply. Setzer evaded just in time.

Landing on her good leg, Sable crouched low, then sprang. She was blocked, but her full weight behind the blow sent him stumbling back. A smirk, Sable darted forward and began batted his club away with her own, exposing his torso. An upward arc, bring down, a reversed upward arc. Her foot stepped forward, she swung back, gripping with both hands, then swung straight up. Setzer's back arched at the blow, knocking him off his feet, a sharp spin for momentum, an aggressive advance, the barrel-tip rammed into his stomach.

Orbs scattered, Setzer crashed into the platform, stunned.

Sable quickly snatched up the orbs, warier this time. Setzer gasped, got up, then shot forward.

The momentum of the vicious flurry of blows carried him half-way across the stage in one lunge. Sable side-stepped to evade—

Setzer landed on the ball on of his foot and _spun_. A haymaker of blows rained down on Sable, knocking her off her feet and onto the ground with a painful crash. _Ow…_ violet eyes blinked in a daze, then widened.

She rolled as the club descended again. On her feet, she leapt back for space, panting softly. Setzer faced her and they faced off.

_We both lost roughly the same amount of orbs._ Sable estimated. _One more clash…that'll decide how this ends._

A twitch. Both lunged. Clubs crossed, orbs flew, the bell rang. They skidded to a stop, positions reversed, backs to each other. Immobile, neither daring to move as the referees walked on stage for an orb count. Long seconds passed.

Finally, it was declared that Sable had won, by the skin of her teeth. The crowd went wild with cheers. Sable relaxed, and stood straight

"But…I'm not supposed to lose." Despite the words, his tone was more impressed than dismayed.

Sable dipped her head, shadowed eyes closed, breaths deep.

Motion behind her, warm breath tickled her ear. "Keep in mind," Setzer whispered, resting his hands on her shoulders. "that just because you survived a fight, you may still lose." Sable's eyes opened and she glanced at him from her peripheral. "Know your limits, don't gamble beyond the limits of your endurance, or you may not live to regret it."

A nod of understanding. "I know…" She assured softly, "but I'll keep that in mind."

An approving nod, Setzer straightened up. He clapped her shoulder once, before turning and walking off the stage as the sponsor walked up. With a bright grin, the man handed Sable both the trophy and the championship belt.

Sable smirked, both victorious yet tired. Favoring her injured leg, she held up the belt with her good arm.

First chance she got, she slipped away from the rambunctious crowd. Worn and exhausted, she limped back to her apartment to see how well the bandages had held.

/\/\/\

Eyes closed, Sable leaned back against the barrel, basking in the setting sun's rays. Tucking one leg close, she hugged it to her. _Everything's calmed down it seems…_ A soft smile formed. _Quiet…it's nice._ Sunset Hill was a good place for some solitude, or to avoid sudden forming fan-clubs.

"Hey."

Eyes opening partway, Sable glanced up. Arms crossed, leaning against the barrel, Seifer stared down at her.

_He's alone._ She gave a nod of greeting.

"You feelin' alright?"

A limp shrug. "Tired."

Seifer chuckled. "I'm not surprised." A grunt, and he swung on top of the barrel.

Neither spoke for a long moment, basking in the silence and admiring the golden hues of the sunset.

"Did you need something?" Sable queried.

"I wanted to thank you," sincerity laced his words, "for protecting Vivi from that man. He's too small to protect himself."

A fond smile, "He's a cute kid."

Seifer glanced down at her curiously. "Vivi said…that you knew that man…" he trailed off.

"_Of_ him." Sable corrected. "His name is Saïx. I had…never met him before today."

A soft hum. "What did he want with you? It seemed pretty serious, whatever it was."

Sable inclined her head, resting it against the cool metal, eyes sliding shut. "I am…knowledgeable on certain topics that most people are unaware of." She explained at last. "Saïx's boss, and by proxy Saïx himself, feel threatened by that, but at the same time are too curious, at least at present, to simply eliminate me."

"Boss? You mean there's more like him?"

"Yes, I believe Saïx is the second in command. They call themselves Organization Thirteen." A pause, then a chuckle. "Though, I suppose it doesn't fit any more, what with five of their number dead and another gone rogue."

"How do you know?"

"That's my business." Violet cracked open. "But, be warned, they are both powerful and ruthless." She fixed him with a serious stare. "If you see anyone in a black cloak, like what Saïx wore, or white figures with marks like the Dusk you and I fought, turn and run. Only certain weapons can cause enough damage to be really effective."

"Like that bat-wing sword?"

A nod, "Yes, like Soul Eater."

"Soul Eater?" a brow arched.

"I know, odd name."

A chuckle, then a puzzled frown. "But, back in our fight, I was able to hit it with just a Struggle club."

"Only after Soul Eater appeared." Sable pointed out. "I…don't really know the specifics…but people who fight with those wielding specialized weapons get …a boost in power, or something like that, so they can fight against those things, and others like them."

"Others? You mean there are more things like those things-in-white?"

A nod. "Many more, and the Organization and the Nobodies, which is what those white things are called, are actually some of the gentler ones. But they, and things like them, only show up if something really bad happens, or is about to happen."

Seifer thought about it, then shuddered at the implications. "Only when something bad happens? Then, do you know…?"

"Yes," another nod, "Almost a decade ago a man began experimenting with something he shouldn't have. It got out of control and that mess is _still_ being cleaned up."

A frown. "It…wouldn't happen to be why all those stars disappeared a year ago, would it?"

Sable nodded solemnly. Seifer shuddered again.

"It was that bad?"

"Worse, actually, Twilight Town is one of the few fortunate places not dragged into what happened then. I'm not going to explain what happened, just know that it was _really_ bad."

"I'll take your word for it."

Silence fell again.

Finally, Sable stiffly got to her feet. Carefully, she stretched her sore limbs, yawning as she arched her back. "I'm going home…"

Turning, she limped away. A moment later Seifer joined her, walking close so he could catch her if she tripped.

"Wanna…get an ice-cream before you go?" he asked.

_Ice cream?_ Sable shrugged, but the ghost of a smile formed in the shadow of her dark bangs.

/\

Those who are short-tempered do foolish things, and schemers are hated.  
><strong>~Proverbs 14:17<strong>


	5. 4th Day

My enemies are many;  
>they hate me though I have done nothing against<br>them.  
><strong>~Psalm 38:19<strong>

/\

**The 4****th**** Day**

A muffled _pop_, a pained groan.

_I thought sleep was supposed to make one feel _better. _I actually feel _worse_ than yesterday!_

With a sigh, Sable dried off her hair and painstakingly got dressed.

_This is rather…conspicuous…_ she eyed the mildly stained bandages on her arm. _Maybe I could cover it…but long sleeves would agitate it in the long run…_

She went to the dresser and began rummaging through it. _I haven't really looked through this yet—is that a chlamys?_ Surprised, she pulled out the article of clothing. _It is!_

Originally worn in Ancient Greece, a chlamys was a type of cloak meant to be slung over one arm. It was clasped to the opposing shoulder by a clasp called a fibula, though in more modern incarnations it was sometimes replaced by a chain. Many video game heroes were known to wear variations of the traditional chlamys, such as Eizo from Assassin's Creed, or Thor from Jyu Oh Sei.

_This will work perfectly._

Finding no fibula or chain at hand, she settled for wrapping it around her neck and then letting it drape over her arm. It settled nicely, hiding the whole limb from view. _And it doesn't look to bad either._

/\/\/\

_I should probably take it easy today,_ Sable decided, smothering a wince at the throbbing in her leg as she chewed her breakfast. _If for no other reason than to give them time to start mending. Sa__ï__x certainly did a number on me…_

A frown settled over her features as she paused mid-chew. The words the Berserker had said coming back to her.

_Was he telling the truth? Does Xemnas really _have_ the answers, and, for that matter, how did he even _know_ about me in the first place?_

Questions, questions, there seemed no end to them. Sable sighed. _It doesn't matter in any case. There are more important things to deal with now._

Such as figuring out how to call Soul Eater on cue, Breath Guard as well if that was possible.

Breakfast finished, Sable took her time in cleaning and replacing the dishes. Her eyes landed on the Struggle trophy, set on her countertop. The four crystals gleamed in the light. Enthralled, she reached out and plucked the blue crystal from its place.

Holding it up, the crystal gleamed brightly as the light was refracted through it.

"Pretty." Sable murmured, slipping it into her pocket.

/\/\/\

Confetti flew, brightly colored balloons swayed on their strings. Laughter and shouts filled the air as people wandered from stall to stall. Even the occasional Struggle ring, suspended exaggeratedly a couple yards high with novices Strugglers competing for fun. A festival in full swing.

_I don't remember this happening in the game…_ Looking around, nerves on edge at the noise and close proximity of moving bodies, Sable edged along the edges of the stall-filled roads-

"Sable!"

The dark-haired girl's head snapped around at the piercing shriek, violet eyes widening. _What? Oh, no…_ Her body froze up.

Fights, she could handle. Homicidal Berserkers, she could handle. _This_, this was not something she could handle.

_I wonder if my leg will hold up if I make a break for it…_

Spinning around, she took off, crowd of near-squealing girls in hot pursuit.

_What did I do to deserve _this_?_ She slid around a corner. Metal on a far wall caught her eye. _A pipe! If I grab it, I could swing up—_

Hands shot out and caught her. With a smothered yelp, Sable felt herself get pulled flush against a warm body.

_What-?_

"Hush!" a sharp hiss into her ear. Her struggles stilled, body remaining tense.

The pursuing girls passed the alley face, overlooking the figures in the shadows. Several tense seconds passed, then her captor seemed to relax and released their grip. She stepped forward, then spun around to face them.

A blink of surprise.

Amused violet studied her. "You can handle death threats, but not a couple over eager fans?" Setzer quipped, smile notably tugging at his lips.

"I don't like the attention." Sable groused, face a little warm.

A chuckle. "They're reverential, not fanatical, they'll calm down if you tell them it bothers you."

Sable glanced down sheepishly at the gentle rebuke. Then she looked up at the man. "Will their reaction be…regular, with the other people of Twilight Town?"

"I suppose so," a hum, "though not quite as exuberant. You've left quite an impression, and everyone knows you got hurt protecting that boy. You'll probably have well wishers coming to ask how you're doing."

A slight shiver. "Not to be impolite, but I'd rather avoid that if possible."

A blink, then another chuckle, "I had a feeling you'd say that." A thoughtful look. "If you think you're up to it, I could show you how to get around without being noticed."

A hopeful glint in violet. "I think I can manage, you'll show me?"

A nod. "Where were you planning to go?"

"The forest by the Old Mansion."

"I see… Alright then," he turned towards the dead end wall. With a leap and a twist he was atop the wall. Perched like a cat, he glanced expectantly down at Sable. "Well?"

Violet sized up the wall, then she darted forward. A step up the wall, she pressed off and lunged for the ledge, hands catching and momentum carrying her legs over and up. She stood, a brief spasm lanced through her leg and she wobbled. Setzer's sturdy grip caught her.

"You sure you can keep up?" he queried as he steadied her.

A nod, violet glinting inflexibly, "Of course, I just won't be as fast as I normally would be."

Setzer hummed. "Aright, follow me."

Balance, run along roof top, brace, jump, grab overhanging, swing _up._

"You do this a lot, I take it?" Sable observed, noting how at ease the former champion was with navigating the maze of possible paths above the stone streets.

Swing over and release, drop towards the far lower roof, extend arms and tuck in legs, brace.

A soft grunt. "I had an airship, once-upon-a-time, before I came to Twilight Town. Traveling like this reminds me of when I once sailed the skies."

Obstructing wall by a higher roof ledge. Run and jump, grip wall edge, brace-then-press-off, twist mid-air, grip then swing onto the roof, avoid low hanging pipe.

"Do you miss it?"

A shrug. "Not as much as I once did." A soft chuckle, "A wise woman I once knew reminded me of what I had to live for after the Blackjack was destroyed."

Though intrigued, Sable chose not to press further.

It only took a few minutes to reach the breach in the Tram Common wall. Setzer lingered only long enough for a brief farewell before leaving to rejoin the festival.

_He's not so bad._ Sable decided as she slipped through the fissure and into the forest beyond.

An unexpected sound reached her ears. Dark brows furrowed as curiosity arose, Sable followed the sound. She paused, then blinked, a smile tugging at her lips. _Now that's just cute._

The blue barrel fell forward sharply as Vivi swung down. Eyes screwed into a mask of utter focus, he brought it up again and lunged—

overbalanced, and fell head-over-heels.

Hand over mouth, Sable suppressed a chuckle. Remaining where she was, feeling a sense of bemusement, she watched as Vivi got up and kept practicing. Sable could recognize several variations of techniques Seifer favored, a couple she had seen Setzer use and, much to her amusement, multiple motions that _she_ used.

Unfortunately for Vivi, the techniques he was trying to mimic were meant for people with different builds, mainly with longer legs and a longer reach. All the same, it was just _adorable_.

"H-hey Sable," the young boy greeted with hesitant surprise when he noticed the teenager. "Are you," a vague gesture to her arm and leg, "feeling better?"

Violet eyes softened, Sable chuckled and gently pat the boy's oversized wizard's hat.

"I'll be fine once I recover." She assured, "You're practicing for next year's Struggle matches?"

A timid nod. "Y-yeah, I don't…" a shiver, "That guy just picked me up, right out of my house! I was too scared to fight him." He looked up with wide yellow eyes, "I want to be brave, like you, and strong just like Seifer! Then I won't have to be rescued all the time!"

_All the time?_ Dark brow arched with a hint of concern.

Vivi suddenly looked down again, looking somewhat ashamed. _Well, that won't do…_

"I think you could do that." The hat flopped back as his head jerked up in surprise, "But…maybe you'd do better with a fighting style that complemented _your_ strengths, rather than trying to emulate myself, or one of the other Struggle fighters. We fight how it works best for _us_." A pause, violet eyes sizing up the boy. "You're doppelganger was good at jumping and hitting under an opponent's guard, maybe you should try something like that?"

With that, she continued on her way, leaving Vivi to ponder her words.

/\/\/\

Cast iron, rust-coated gates loomed over her. Violet eyes took it in curiously, scanning the immediate area for any…unpleasant surprises. Upon seeing none, her shoulders relaxed, marginally.

_Seems safe enough…_

She extended her arm, palm open. _How did I summon it before?_ An annoyed sigh. _Reacting on instinct is all well and good, but it's useless when trying to do something deliberately and on cue._

What had it felt like, calling the Dark blade? A feeling of ice coating and coursing through her lower arm, sharp, brisk, focused, like splashing cold water onto your face after a nap—

Dark tendrils coiled around her forearm. Shadows danced as the Dark glow spread out of her hand and condensed, taking shape. Red bled into the black as the glow faded and the shadows dispersed.

Pleasantly surprised, Sable looked over Soul Eater when she noticed something.

_It's not like Riku's!_ Not having been able to really examine it before, she hadn't noticed the variations with _this_ Soul Eater and the blade it was derived from. While loosely based off a falchion blade, and still resembling a bat's wing, there were several key differences. _The fingers are red and the membrane is black._ Riku's was blue and red, respectively.

_The hilt doesn't have teeth either,_ which she honestly wasn't too upset about, _and the blue slit-pupil gem stone's been replaced by an amber cat's eye stone._

Satisfied, she released her grip on the blade, watching it diffuse into Darkness and fade away. Then she extended her other hand.

_What did I feel before it came?_ Brows furrowed as she tried to remember,_ Warmth, and a surge of strength, of optimism…_ Frown deepened,_Why does that feeling feel… foreign to me? I can remember the echo of the feeling, like remembering yesterday's sunlight, but not the feeling itself._

Perturbed, and Breath Guard unresponsive to her failing calls, she leaned back against a tree. With a soft, relieved grunt, she slid down into a sitting position, easing the strain on her leg.

Eyes closed, she rested her head against the bark.

_Soul Eater…a weapon of Darkness, Darkness which I can, apparently, summon and dismiss at will, which I can feel as well as I feel the adrenaline through my veins or the tension in my muscles as I move… But Breath Guard, a weapon of _Light_, warmth and comfort, I can't even imagine… It won't come to me, it's alien to me I suppose…_

A sigh.

_Will I be of use? When Sora is the near epitome of Light incarnate? What would I bring to him, to his journey?_ A pause, a wry snort, _And when did I decide I would be going with them anyway?_

A slow inhale, a relaxing sigh. Still-tense muscles loosened. Hair brushed lightly across her face.

_That breeze…it feels nice…_

/\/\/\

A blink. The soft silvery glow filled her vision. _I…fell asleep?_

The duel Nobody and Heartless engraving stared up at her.

_An Awakening? Again?_

She glanced around. _No steps this time._ She wasn't sure whether to feel relieved or uneasy.

A glow of white. Brighter, purer than the glow the platform gave off. Curious, she turned, and blinked again.

The size of a marble, a white sphere was held suspended, at eye-level, over the center of the platform. It gave off a kind of…allure, which Sable could not help but be drawn to.

_Come, rest, heal_ it seemed to say.

Her arm stretched out, fingers gently brushing the sphere—

_Crack!_

Eyes wide, she recoiled violently, yanking her arm close as the sphere _splintered_.

_Thirteen fragments…_ Her mind noted numbly.

Six fogged over, then five of the six blackened as Darkness welled up from within, quenching their white glow. The seven untouched remained pristine.

Heart lodged in her throat, Sable stared at the splintered sphere before her. Her arms remained pinned to her body, still on edge from the previous result of her brushing the sphere. The orb remained a moment longer, then all the pieces faded from sight.

**The Darkness is your strength…**

She jumped, spine suddenly rigid, shoulder's tense. Violet scanned the platform warily, warmth seeming to fade from her body.

…**You are the Heir.**

_The Heir?_ Sable blinked, perplexed._ Heir of what?_

**The Dark-Hearts will seek your power.**

A flicker of movement. Sable leapt back as claws slammed down. The Shadow turned, clawed hands twitching spastically as it gazed up at her with large yellow eyes.

_It's…kind of cute…_ Sable blinked at the waist-high Heartless, _in a weird sort of way._

Shadows spread and rose up.

_Uh-oh…_ Soul Eater appeared arched overhead as Sable leaned back offensively.

They lunged, she swung.

**But what they have, you shall take…**

With each Shadow felled, the chill in her chest seemed to grow, compress, sharpen. _I don't know what this feeling is…but I don't have time to figure it out now!_

A pivot back, Soul Eater arced up, catching another airborne Heartless. Another appeared, claws blurred. Sable swerved down and lunged to the side, lashing out. A line was traced over her wrist as the culprit's form dispersed.

_No blood,_ Sable noted distantly. Twist and _swing_, another Shadow felled. _Not even a break in skin…yet I still feel the sting of a cut… Not like the wounds Sa__ï__x caused._

A handspring back, drop, a wide leg sweep—

Struck nothing but air as the targeted Shadows flattened against the platform, like paper on an object's surface…or the shadows they were named for.

_What if…Nobodies only strike the Body…while Heartless attack the Heart directly… Or at least, the binds that anchor the Heart to the Body._

Twist around a lunge, pirouette with the off-center collision, swing up and arc around.

_Three Dusks wore me down more than this onlslaught of Shadows._ A mostly pointless observation. _Are Heartless _that much_ weaker? Or have I gotten stronger?_

…**Don't be afraid.**

Her leg quivered, her chest _burned_.

_Air!_

A shadow loomed above her, claws striking out—

Missed, as Sable ducked and back-pedaled, stabbing upwards. _Neoshadows! Just great…_

_Defend against the blows. Guard_

Feet dug in as Sable reversed her grip and used Soul Eater as a shield. Grasping claws connected, then propelled back. _That's an… an Action Ability._ She realized _without the recoil of a Reaction Command!_

_Block the blows, strike back as they recoil. Counter Guard._

A Neoshadow slammed down, Sable dug in and endured it, descending claws rebounded back—

_There!_ Its torso pierced, it dissolved like the others.

A pained grimace, her free hand gripped her quivering leg. Each breath hurt, _burned_ at her lungs, her body felt like seizing up. Every action a battle in itself, each slash, each block, more forced than the last.

And the Heartless just kept _coming_. An endless sea of writhing black, all grasping, tearing, trying to swallow her up, pull her down.

…**You will bring it all together…**

Cold pressed against her face, weight growing on top of her, pinning her down. Needy fingers dug at her back-

_No!_

Her blood grew cold_. Enemy, danger, threat! _A roar of defiance. Ice-laced fury coursed through her veins. _Fight! Fight to survive, fight to _live!

Sable reared back. Soul Eater lashed out, coated in a field of writhing shadows. Like a great gust, the Heartless were plucked off the ground like paper ragdolls.

Do_ not stop until they all fall! _Colder and colder, focusing like an arrow's point. _Don't stop. Don't _ever_ stop! Will _not_ fade away. They can_not _swallow you! _

…**and protect many.**

Muscles tensed, then she leapt, soaring high into the air. Motion. Neoshadows closed in, claws extended. A twist, a Guard, a countering _push. _Gravity calls. More Neoshadows fell towards her.

Pull back, swing out, release!

_Show those lowly shadows their folly! Make them _suffer _for it! _

Soul Eater cut through the Heartless above, spinning like a saw-blade.

Feet connect, knees bend, absorbing the force of impact. Another ring of Heartless. Black masses leaping up, diving towards her.

A smirk, arm crossing chest. Pivot on foot_,_ Darkness coalescing out from her fingertips arching out like a ribbon. A pirouette, the Dark Whip connects, ripping the hapless Heartless to shreds.

Sable comes to a stop, arm raised high. The whip defused, remnants dissolving. Soul Eater drops into her expectant hand, and she lowers her arm.

_Gone,_ she thought with near malicious satisfaction.

_For now, guard for the next…_ _never safe, never rest_

**Don't forget…**

And then Darkness closed in around her.

/\/\/\

Bleary violet cracked open, unfocused, they took in the mauve ceiling above. A slow blink, once… twice...

_Wha…?_

"So, you woke up."

Sable turned her head. From against the doorframe, Seifer studied her. Violet blinked again, then looked questioningly into blue. The other teenager chuckled dryly.

"Chicken-wuss and his tag-alongs found you in front of the Old Mansion." He explained, "Vivi happened to be there too, so he came and got me, and I carried you here."

A pause, then a low groan as Sable pushed herself up. Her chest burned at the motion, and her leg throbbed painfully. _Great…the pain carried over._ Gritting her teeth, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, feet planted on the floor.

"How long was I out?" _Ignore the pain, it'll go away eventually._

"Most of the day."

Sable blinked. _That long?_

Seifer turned away, seeing no reason to keep sticking around.

"Seifer?" Pausing, he glanced over his shoulder questioningly, "Thanks."

A small smile, he flashed a thumbs up and then let himself out.

Now alone, Sable stiffly got up, then limped over to the medicine cabinet. _I wonder…it potions grow less effective the more regularly it's used._ Grimacing at the taste, she felt the pain dull, but the wounds didn't mend any faster._ Or, maybe, they just aren't as effective on me for some reason._

She returned to her room and collapsed on her bed, burying her face in her pillow. _I should go to sleep._ Eyes slipped closed, _It'll be an…eventful day tomorrow._

/\

_The righteous face many troubles,  
><em>_but the Lord rescues them from each  
><em>_and every one.  
><em>_For the Lord protects them from harm—  
><em>_not one of their bones will be broken!  
><em>**~Psalm 34:19-20**


	6. 5th Day

_For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  
><em>**~Jeremiah 29:11**

**The 5****th**** Day**

_It begins…_

People shouting, laughing, having fun. Stalls crammed rim to rim of the bustling streets. Balloons popped, confetti flew. Even Seifer and his crew, who were as crowd-shy as Sable, could be seen enjoying the festivity.

Sable partook in none of it.

Just one more figure in the sea of many, she navigated the maze of streets. Only once did she pay attention to those around her, when she passed Elmina, and paused just long enough for a friendly nod before moving on.

She was too _stiff_ to freestyle over the hidden paths above.

After what felt like an eternity of mind-numbing noise, she reached the peaceful forest beyond the wall. The silence within was a welcome relief to sore ears and high-strung nerves.

Cast iron gates loomed above her.

_Problem…_ She eyed the giant padlock. "How do I get in?"

No Keyblade on hand, no other entrances in sight, and scaling it was out of the question. So that only left—

She sighed, crossing an arm over her chest. Darkness condensed, she swung out, Dark Whip streaming from her fingertips. An upward arc, then a hard slash down. The whip struck, sparks flew as the metal dropped heavily to green grass.

The gates creaked open. The whip dissolved. Sable strode in, leaving the severed pieces where they fell.

Long strides into the mansion's shadow. A pause. Then a hand pushed the heavy wood doors open. Sable surveyed the interior: poorly lit, covered in cobwebs, with broken furniture scattered all over the place. Fingers flexed, and Soul Eater took shape, then she warily entered.

_Three…two…one…_ She reached the middle of the foyer. Her neck prickled. She leaned back. Banded scythe-like hand streaked down past her face. A Reversal-aided twist.

"You know," A bone-dry drawl, "I'm beginning to think you don't like me much." Soul Eater cut through the nearest Dusk. Another recovered its wit.

Duck under blow, Reversal again, enjoy the confusion that follows. _It's easier… The Reaction Command doesn't have any recoil now._ She noted, sliding forward and swinging up _…It just forewarns, then leaves a route to follow._

As odd as that may have seemed, that was the only description she could think of that even remotely fit the odd sensation that was the Reaction Command.

Boxing her in, the Dusks lunged. Reversal _up_, catch one with Soul Eater's blade, block another with the hilt. Right arm extends, Darkness condenses, the Dark Whip lashes out, ripping through the survivors.

_Good wide-range attack._ The whip retracted with a _snap_. _But…has a slight delay, I need to focus on where I want it to go…good for a finishing move, though._

Enemies dispersed, Sable ascended the nearest staircase to the level above—

"**I'm so FLATTERED!"**

Sable reeled back, crashing into the railing. The voice, filled with anger, hammered through her head.

"**Let's meet again, in the next life…"**

"_**Yeah…I'll be waiting."**_

A pang of nostalgia, and sad regret.

"**I know you will. I'll be waiting too."**

A groan, Sable shook her head, pale fingers wrinkling fabric over her Heart. _Axel and…Roxas? Why am I feeling so sad?_ Like a lead weight being dropped into her stomach.

"_**Glad you could make it."**_

"_**The **_**true**_** wielder of the Keyblade will awaken soon."**_

_That's…Ansem the Wise!_ A pained grimace, fingers clenched, digging into skin, a pressure seemed to build behind her sternum.

"…_**You will disappear**_**.**_**"**_

Sadness fumbled, then fell under a wave of fury.

"_**NO! My heart belongs to me!"**_

"_**Because, you hold the other half of his power."**_

"_**Because you are a **_**Nobody."**

The fury faded, sorrow welled up again, laced with pained resignation.

_**I wasn't supposed to feel anything. Yet, I felt jealous of them.**_

Was that…self-deprecation?

"_**You're lucky…"**_

A strange shift of sorrow to a sort of sardonic joy, like winning the war, only to turn and find there's nothing left for you to return to.

"…_**looks like my summer vacation is…over."**_

And then the voices, the _emotions_ were gone.

Sable gasped, sliding down the railing to her knees. Eyes wide, brow damp.

_What. The. Heck?_

She had heard them, and yet, she had _not_ heard them. Sweaty fingers ran through her hair as she exhaled sharply.

_This is…this is too much._ Mentally shaking herself off, Sable climbed to her feet and stumbled the rest of the way to the upper level. _Right's the library._ She stepped forward, then paused, a strange nagging at the back of her mind. Hesitating, she glanced back towards the other wing.

_That room…_ Her feet moved as if on autopilot to a closed door. Another pause, then Sable turned the knob and stepped in—

Froze, blinded by the sheer _whiteness_ of the room within. _…Ow…my eyes…_

Blinking back stars, she flattened against the wall beside the doorway. _This is…_

Pictures coated the walls, lines upon lines of them, all in the same pastel colors. Each one looked meticulously done. Intrigued, Sable took a closer look.

_These are amazing!_ Her eyes traced the intricate details of the drawings before her. _The game did her no credit. And to think…she did them all in _crayon.

And that each one was a link meant to repair Sora's memory. They told the story of his adventures, but not just his, but Roxas's as well. Some detailed a part of Sora's quest with the Keyblade, others sketched out Roxas's time with the Organization, most of those showing him in the company of Axel.

But one picture stood out, placed obtrusively on the edge of the long table, as if placed there deliberately with a plan in mind. Curious, Sable moved in to see it better. Violet eyes widened marginally and shaky fingers gently picked it up. She studied the picture with startled intensity, before folding it neatly, and slipping it into one of her larger pockets.

Somewhat shaken, to say the least, she quickly exited the room.

/\/\/\

_So many books…I wonder if there are any interesting ones. Maybe I should come back sometime in the future and look through some of them…_

The volume of the library greatly dwarfed what the game had suggested. Books piled from floor to ceiling in some places. There was not an inch of room to be seen anywhere among the great book cases. It was almost intimidating.

But for now, the books were unimportant. Sable descended into the next room, the basement.

_Woah…that's a _big_ computer._ Filling nearly all of the corner where it was located, monitors stretching all the way up to the ceiling. _And to think, Ansem the Wise put that together…I suppose the title isn't just for show then…_

Another step forward. A glimmer of dirty white. Sable jerked, then did a double-take as she found herself looking through the bars of a prison cell.

"Naminé!" Sable breathed.

The blonde's head jerked up at the gasp, blue eyes widening in equal surprise.

"It's you…" she gasped.

_She's here, she's _really_ here!_ Sable stood transfixed, astonished. Then she shook herself back to the present and eyed the lock on the door intently. "I'll get you out."

Darkness condensed, the Dark Whip arced down, the offending padlock dropped just as the previous one had, letting the door creak open. A couple long strides, and Sable was helping the _much_ smaller girl to her feet.

"Thank you." Naminé said gratefully, brushing off some dust that was stubbornly clinging to her white gown.

_He just _left_ you there!_ Righteous indignation swelled, but she kept her face even. "Are you alright?"Sable asked, concerned.

"I'm alright, Sable."

A frown. "I don't think we've ever met before."

"No." Naminé shook her head, "But I've seen you… Did you find my drawing?"

A confirmative nod. "Yes, you're very talented." A pause, "Though…that one of me was rather…unnerving. What made you draw it?"

"I don't know," Naminé admitted, "I just…had the urge to draw it one day. I don't know why."

A somewhat awkward silence fell, then Sable remembered her self-initiated mission. "You should, probably get out of here…" She murmured, concern flaring again, "Do you want me to escort you out?"

Blonde hair ruffled as she gave a negative shake of her head, but she gave Sable a small smile. "No thank you, I'll be fine."

"If you're sure…" Sable consented reluctantly, still worried. "Be careful then."

Another small smile, and Naminé left the cell, heading towards the library. A pause, then she glanced back. "I hope you succeed in your mission, good luck."

Sable, exiting the cell, paused and gave a gracious nod, then approached the next doorway as Naminé disappeared from sight. Fingers flexed, and Soul Eater returned as she warily entered the doorway, scanning the room beyond suspiciously. Muscles tense for an attack, she took a few slow, cautious steps forward.

_I should be attacked in here…_ Sable remembered, _Like Axel did with Roxas… I'm not eager to face Sa__ï__x again…_

But nothing, not so much as a Dusk appeared, only increasing her confusion. She reached the other door, and glanced back. Still nothing, not so much as a whisper.

_Why not—_

-_Surprise in the other's golden gaze and, violet eyes blinked. _Is that…_fear_ in his eyes?-

Sable blinked slowly at the unexpected recollection. Then a thoughtful expression crossed her face, her arms folded under her chest.

_Whatever I did to spook Sa__ï__x must have discouraged Xemnas from sending the Diviner or another member…not that I'm complaining._

Present puzzle apparently solved, Sable continued on.

/\/\/\

Stinging eyes snapped shut at the abrupt change in lighting. _Just like Naminé's drawing room._ Sable groused, wincing slightly at the retinal burn. The extreme change from dark brown and black to white was _not_ kind on the eyes.

Blinking rapidly, the hallway came into focus. Her eyes landed on large, bud-like pods. Drawn, her feet carried her to stand before them.

_Now _there's_ a pair of faces almost anyone would recognize._ A smile tugged at her lips as she saw the sarcastic and somewhat selfish Donald Duck, and the clumsy but good-natured Goofy. Sable remembered watching the antics of these two with—

She shook her head abruptly, hand traveling up to massage her collar bone through her shirt. _That's enough of that…This is not the time to reminisce, it won't help here._

Violet took in the white pods with a more critical look. _Am I supposed to open these…? Or is there some kind of timing mechanism—_

Glass cracked open, white vapors hissing upon exit. Sable stepped back as the buds _bloomed_, Soul Eater vanishing from her grasp. Then she watched.

Donald stirred first, eyes half-open, still glazed with sleep, he took a clumsy step forward—

An arm shot out, knees bent low, Sable caught him as he tripped on the edge of the pod. The duck blinked owlishly, eyes slowly coming into focus, then he looked up to meet violet. He paused, and blinked slowly as his mind tried to register the fact, before suddenly snapping back to full awareness.

He leapt up out of her arms and spun to face her. "Who are you? What's happening? Where are we?"

Sable blinked, mentally translating the questions. _His rasp is worse in person…but still understandable…_ A glint of amusement.

"I'm Sable. I wouldn't know, I just found you. At present you are in the basement of the Old Mansion of Twilight Town." She informed chronologically.

Feathered arms crossed over his chest as Donald glared at her suspiciously. "So you just _found_ us?" He repeated skeptically. "And just what were you doing here in the first place?"

A careless shrug. "Exploring." _Well…that's _half_ true._ Still the duck glared. Violet eyes rolling, she folded her arms and leaned back, eyeing the far war with boredom.

A yawn caught their attention. Turning, they saw Goofy stretching his gangly body. Lips smacking, his eyes opened and looked at the pair before him, settling on his friend.

"G'morning, Donald." Another large yawn.

"Get up Goofy," Donald barked, "We need to find Sora." He scanned the corridor. "He's probably sleeping around here."

A blink, then Goofy glanced around as well. He scratched his head, confused. "We were sleepin'?" He stepped out of the pod, then his eyes landed on Sable. Another blink, then a smile, "Oh, hello," A polite greeting, "Who are you?"

"Sable."

"She _claims_ to have _found_ us." Another suspicious glare.

"And caught _you_ when you _tripped."_ Sable couldn't resist retorting. The duck quickly looked away.

Goofy nodded calmly and smiled again. "Nice to meet you, Sable." He placed a hand to his chest, "I'm Goofy," a motion towards the court magician, "and that's Donald Duck."

A polite bend at the waist. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Silence, and then, "Well…Sable…" Donald hesitated, paranoia getting the better of him.

"You wouldn't happen to know where our friend, Sora, is, do you?" Goofy finished in a friendly tone.

A hum, Sable shook her head. "No one above, anyway." She pointed at the far end of the corridor. "But what about over there?"

/\/\/\

Eyes closed, head turned, Sable blocked out the glow. _Is it actually physically possible for a room to be any _whiter?

Beside her, Donald and Goofy were not as fortunate, having looked at the room straight on. Blinking owlishly they waited for their eyes to adjust.

The room was barren of furniture, except for a lone pod protruding from the very center. Eyes widening, Donald and Goofy darted in and quickly approached small control panel at the base of the pod. Sable remained where she stood, leaning against the doorway.

Opened like a flower in bloom, the pod no longer hid Sora from view. The boy in question, though, remained asleep. Suspended vertically by unseen support.

Brows quirked up, violet eyes politely averted as she bit back a rising chuckle. _Seems he grew a bit while he slept,_ amusement grew, _pity his clothes didn't grow with him, he looks ridiculous._ A pause, then a frown, _How did he grow if he didn't eat? I wonder just how that pod technology works…_

"Sora." Donald called.

"Sora… Wake up!"

A twitch, a groan, sky-blue cracked open sleepily, then drooped closed again. Agitated, Donald jumped up into the pod, mouth right at the boy's ear. "WAKE UP!"

Sora woke with a start, toppling over.

"It's no time to be falling back asleep!" Donald scolded sharply, backing out of the pod as Goofy chuckled.

Blinking sleepily, Sora yawned and stretched stiffly, getting to his feet. Behind raised hands, both magician and knight sniggered quietly. Sky-blue came into focus, and then brightened upon seeing his friends.

"Donald, Goofy!" He embraced them both in a bear hug, crying out joyfully.

They clasped hands, and jumped around in celebration. Sable gagged slightly at the reunion, her skin prickling almost painfully, before quickly regaining her composure. Her eyes snapped to the tiny figure that leapt out of Sora's hood.

She blinked. _He's…tiny_.

Jiminy Cricket yawned deeply, and stretched.

_I can see why he stays in the hood…he'd probably get crushed anywhere else._

"That was some nap."

Sora blinked, eyes clouding with confusion. "You mean…we were asleep?"

Paper rustled, Jiminy suddenly cried out in horrified alarm. "The records of my journal have been erased!" eyes watered almost dramatically, "the crown of my labor…" A pause, he stopped at a page. "Wait…there's one sentence."

Donald and Goofy leaned over to try and see.

"'Thank Naminé', gee…I wonder who that is…"

"What did we do last?" Sora wondered, folding his arms with a frown. "Let's see… We defeated Ansem…"

A suppressed snicker made shoulders quiver, _Oh is he in for a surprise._

"…restored peace to the worlds…" Donald and Goofy bobbed their heads. "Found Kairi…oh yeah!" a fist slapped an open palm. "And then we went looking for Riku," A pause, "I _think_ that's right so far…" he trailed off, suddenly coming up with a blank.

"Then what?" Donald pressed.

"I…don't…it's all a blank."

"If only I could read my records." Jiminy lamented.

A snort. "Some journal _that_ is." Donald jeered.

The cricket flinched at the slight.

_Seems I'm not needed…_ Pivoting, Sable silently strode back down the corridor, leaving the heroes to puzzle over their memories. _I wonder where Naminé went?_

/\/\/\

Hands brace, tuck legs, swing out, continue.

_Why did I leave?_ Sable asked herself, free-styling across the roofs, stiff limbs or not. _I could have stayed, I had no reason to turn away…so why?_

Her skin prickled in remembrance, an almost burning sensation crawling under stiff hairs. _It burned…_ She realized. _Sora burned…but how—the Light, his Light _burned_._ A pause._ Well, not quite, it was…uncomfortable, and I recoiled…_

Stretch out, grip a drainage pipe, slide down.

A soft grunt, knees bending to absorb the force of impact. Violet momentarily scanned the presently unoccupied Sandlot. It was the only place not being used for the festival, due to some concern about the barrier that had appeared during Sable's confrontation with the Dusks and Saïx.

Thus making it the best place to touch ground without being seen. Her leg was acting up again, and her arm wasn't much better, so traveling on the ground was the safest choice.

A glimpse of movement. Sable's head jerked towards a shadowed alley. She froze. Despite the shadows, the silhouette of an Organization's cloak was unmistakable. As if feeling her gaze, the figure turned and looked at her. Large round ears stood erect under the hood.

A long, tense moment, then Sable turned, and continued on her way. A trace of giddiness lined her stomach, a smile tugging at her lips. _That was Mickey Mouse. That was _the_ Mickey Mouse!_

A cough. _Okay, calm down. But _still_…_

Dark hair swung as she shook her head. _Maybe I should go to the station tower for a while…_ The memory of the voices back at the mansion crossed her mind. She shuddered slightly. _That was…disconcerting._

She entered the Station Plaza-

"Hey! Is your name Sable?"

Surprised, Sable paused and glanced back, nodding.

Sora ran up, Donald and Goofy lagging behind.

"I was told you might know, so…" Blue eyes looked up hopefully, "Have you seen my friend, Riku? Or the King?"

"I don't know anyone named Riku," Black hair shook apologetically. "But I _did_ see something strange—

Her neck prickled.

_Sa__ï__x!_

Pirouetting, she leapt back, eyes wide. A breath of relief. _No…just a Dusk._

Messy brown spikes cocked curiously, eyeing the swaying figures.

A flash of light, Sable's skin stung, she twitched. Metal gleamed in golden rays.

"Don't worry, Sable," Goofy, and the trio, moved as if to guard her, "we'll stop them."

Violet blinked, both touched and amused. Fingers flexed, shadows spread and condensed. Silver-gray flashed. Sable swung up, bisecting the Dusk. She slid around in a Reversal as she heard gasps from the trio.

"Don't stop moving!" she barked, sliding and swinging again as more enemies materialized, "Or they'll blindside you!"

"_Blizzard!"_

Soul Eater's edge frosted over, cold coated her outstretched limb. The Dusk attempting to blindside her caught the full brunt.

_Support?_ A foreign concept to a solo fighter, despite her first conflict with a Dusk.

Free arm swung, Darkness coalesced, the whip spun out, catching a trio of Dusks. Twist, and slash, a wounded survivor is cut down.

Impact, Sable crashed to the ground. _Threat!_ Feet swing out, twist onto back, roll to feet. Violet glared at the guilty appendages of the spiny Assassin Nobody. Reverse grip, _Guard—Counter!_ Another swing flung back, culprit spinning up out of the ground. Step and _pierce_, impaled. A sharp swing, it crashed into a swerving Dusk, bursting.

Motion, duck and back step, thorny limb streaks by. Sable growled and Guarded against a follow-up blow. The Assassin ricocheted up and was felled under the Keyblade.

Another broadside, Sable lunged and rolled to evade. _I really don't like Assassins…_ Duck a scythed swing. _And those Dusks are _really_ annoying._ A sharp tip flashed, Sable Guarded against the faux-sword point and _Counter-guard—_

Malleable body flattened into a shield. Red and black blade bounced harmlessly off. Sable felt her brow twitch. _Creepers are a nuisance…and a threat._

The shape-shifter Nobodies could contort their supple frames into a variety of weapons, and switch between them in a heartbeat, making them hard to cut down. Fortunately, they usually remained in their namesake form, a pair of flat shoe-like shapes that creep along the ground. When like that, they were easy targets.

A gentle tug at her awareness, she smirked. _Time to slide._

Reversal, swing, Reversal, arm extends and the Dark Whip flashes, piercing multiple attackers. _That's new…_

Dusks spun around wildly in confusion, leaving only the Assassins and newly arrived Creeper Nobodies to worry about.

_These Reaction Commands are handy…It confuses the Dusks _and_ eases the strain on my leg!_ A downward sweep, another Creeper burst into oblivion. Motion, bridge back, the Assassin's limb slammed down in front of her. A flash of white, a concussion force, Sable skidded across the ground, blinking up at the sky. _Self destruct…great, they're going kamikaze on us now…_

An image of Axel lying supine on the ground, body falling apart, flashed through her mind's eye. _Axel…you don't deserve that fate…_

"Sable, move!"

_Huh? Oh!_ Roll back, legs tucked close, spring _out!_ Scythed-hands clipped the tips of black hair, drop-kick connects with another Dusk, pinning it as Soul Eater is driven forward. It burst, Sable landed heavily. Her leg buckled, then collapsed. Hissing, Sable fell, pain shooting from leg to chest to arm, in that order.

_Air!_

A thorn shot out, Sable tasted pavement. Focus hazed out-

"_Cure!"_

Warmth through her limbs, the pain dulled. Violet sharpened as Sable rolled and swung to her feet. Dark Whip cracked, shooting out and flinging unwary Nobodies off their feet. Another snap, it darted out and pierced several. The whip retracted, another enemy lunge. Reverse grip, Guard_-Counterguard!_

_Danger! Threat!_ Head jerked back, a Dusk diving down and striking _ou_—

Slammed with a flying disk. Reflexively giving the finishing blow, Sable's wide eyes found Goofy as the other caught his shield.

_Backup?_ A heartbeat span. _Such a strange feeling…_

Motion, a Dusk blindsiding Sora!

Hand flashed out, whip cracked, impaled the Dusk burst. A brief flash of grateful blue before Sora singled out another foe.

White flashed. A putty-like sword gleamed metallically. Sable twisted and blocked it, both hands bracing Soul Eater. The shape-shifting Creeper pressed harder, the blade flat connected with her chest, inflaming the wound and cutting off fresh oxygen. Push back, swing, stumble, dry gasps for breath—

"_Cure!"_

Again the pain faded, breathing came, and Sable burst to action again.

_The Assassins are gone…_ Stab down. _So are the Creepers…that just leaves—_

An oncoming lunge from behind, Reversal, fierce downward sweep.

_The Dusks._

Arm swung out, Dark Whip cracked, Dusks burst. Arc _out_—

A tremor lanced through the limb as it fell limp. The whip spasmed, then vanished. _Blast it! Not now!_

Diving white. A twist and brace. Sharp claws met hard blade, endure—

Fire seared through her chest, her body seized up. Fall, catch, leap back away from the attacker. A brush of cloth, Sora's at her back. _Donald and Goofy are burned out too…_

Pain through her leg, it seized up and collapsed, locking in place. Two thuds, Donald and Goofy tip over.

Violet glared up at the closing Dusks. A spasm lanced through lithe forms. They coiled, then lunged. Grunting, Sable brandished Soul Eater-

A streak of black leather, a flash of gold. Dusks slammed back then burst where they were flung.

_Oh, great, he makes it look _easy_._ A rattled sigh of relief.

"You _four_ gotta board the train and leave town!" King Mickey ordered. "The train knows the way!"

Sora fell forward as Donald and Goofy toppled over him, "Your Majesty…?" they cried through their fatigue.

The dark-clad figure flinched and put a finger to his lips, "Shush! I can't go back yet! Here." A small orange pouch was held out, Sora accepted it and studied it questioningly.

A patter of booted feet, and the king vanished down an alley way before they could stop him.

Soul Eater dispersed and Sable twisted back to look at the pouch. _That looks just like Olette's…Oh! Roxas._

"Your Majesty!" The two loyal servants cried out helplessly.

"The King…" Sora murmured, standing up. "Was that really him?"

"It coulda been…" Eyes lit up, "Yep, I know it was!" Goofy grinned.

"Now we know he's okay!" Donald breathed in relief.

Fatigue clouded mind finally caught up with the King's command. "The four of us?" she rasped. A hum, she tried to stand. "Guess I'm…going with you…" Her leg locked up again, and she fell down again. _My arm is useless, my leg won't respond, and my chest hurts almost too much to breath. _

A strong hand caught her under arm, and Sora pulled her up. A grunt, Sable tried to move her leg, but it threatened to collapse again. Fortunately, Sora let her lean against him.

"Hey, Sable?" The Keybearer spoke as he helped her limp towards the station.

Sable hummed questioningly.

"Where did you get that sword?"

A pause. "I don't know," Sable admitted. "It just came to me. Glad it did, or the Nobodies would have killed me."

"Nobodies?" Goofy echoed.

"Those white—" A tired sigh, "Nevermind…I'll tell you later. Let's just get on the train."

/\/\/\

"Think you can stand now?"

"Yeah," Gingerly testing her leg, Sable nodded. "I'll be fine, thanks."

A sunny grin. Sora turned and approached the ticket booth to pay.

"Hey, Sable!"

Violet blinked, Sable glanced over her shoulder.

Hayner started, looking at her torn clothing. "Yikes! You look like you got into a fight with a meat grinder—ow!"

"Smooth..." Sable drawled as Olette elbowed her friend.

A sheepish grin, then Hayner approached Sora. Blue eyes looked at them, puzzled and questioning.

"We came to see you guys off." Pence explained. "It just…seemed like something we should do."

A blink, then a shrug as Sora turned back to the counter. "Four tickets please." He held out the pouch.

Olette gasped.

Donald glanced at her, "What is it?"

An identical munny pouch was held up.

"They're the same." Goofy observed.

Amusement crossed Sable's features as she watched Sora examine the two pouches curiously before paying for the tickets. It went unnoticed.

/\/\/\

A blink. _Isn't that the Ghost Train?_ Funny, she hadn't realized it before, but it was the same train Roxas had investigated in the Virtual Twilight Town.

"Somehow, I get the feeling that we won't see this town again." Sora's tone was one of melancholy.

Violet eyes softened in understanding. _Maybe not for a while, but we'll come back. _"Don't worry, we will."

A smile, blue brightened up again and Sora nodded. "Yeah, you're right."

The train door slid open.

"Okay," Sora declared, "let's go."

Donald and Goofy preceded them, but Sora hesitated, looking back at Hayner and his friends.

"Bye." He said, albeit sadly.

Hayner opened his mouth, but a sharp yell cut him off.

_Seifer?_ Surprised, Sable limped over to the approaching quartet.

"Heard you were leaving." The Disciplinary Committee head intoned gruffly.

Sable nodded. "There are some things I need to help deal with." Their gazes grew curious. "Involving the man from the Struggle tournament."

Understanding flashed, and they nodded.

Seifer glanced down. "Go ahead, give it to her." He nudged the little black mage forward.

Curious, Sable looked down at the short boy. Vivi shifted nervously, then timidly held a hand out. Silver gleamed.

_Oh!_ Violet eyes widened as Sable knelt in front of the boy, gently taking the pendant from his open palm.

"I-I found it the other day." He said quietly, not looking her in the eye. "It's supposed to be good luck."

The crafted Nobody sigil shone in the light. Sable smiled softly, slipping the black cord over her head and letting it hang over her chest. "Thank you, Vivi." Gently, she pulled him in for a hug. "I'll keep it close." Letting him go, she grasped his narrow shoulders. "Remember what I told you, okay?"

Emboldened, the little black mage nodded, yellow eyes bright with determination.

Stiffly, Sable stood up.

"Come back in one piece." Seifer barked. "You owe me a rematch." A pause. "And beat those lamers into the ground for me."

Nodding, Sable smirked. "Watch yourselves, be wary of any more Dusks if they show up." Turning, she followed Sora into the train. Staring out the window, she watched them wave as the train pulled away from the station.

_Be safe…_

/\

_Do you not know?  
><em>_Have you not heard?  
><em>_The Lord is the everlasting God,  
><em>_the Creator of all the Earth  
><em>_He never grows weak or weary.  
><em>_No one can measure the depths of his understanding.  
><em>_He gives power to those who are tired and worn out;  
><em>_he offers strength to the weak.  
><em>_Even youths will become exhausted, and young men will  
><em>_give up.  
><em>_But those who wait on the Lord will find new strength.  
><em>_They will fly high on wings like eagles.  
><em>_They will run and not grow weary.  
><em>_They will walk and not faint.  
><em>**~Isaiah 40:28-31**

/\/\/\

**A/N**: And that's it for this segment. So before anyone starts to send angry flames I'd like to point out that this story's title is _Foreshadowing_ Rancor. It simply sets the stage for the main story, which I _will_ post. At the moment, with school to worry about and a busy schedule, I may not get the chance to work on the sequel, titled _Dark Savant_ for a while yet.

In the meantime, please review, give me some positive feedback. _Detailed_ feedback, not just a simple "Love your story, hope you update soon", but comment on what you liked or critique what you thought might have been off. I'd really appreciate it.

/\/\/\/\

**Teaser**

_Questioning sky blue staring at the lounging teenager._

"Hey, Sable? Why'd you come with us?"

_Aged eyes shown with both wisdom and sympathy._

"Thanks to your good work…the Heartless were stopped from spilling over out of the Darkness into the World. However…the world is facing another serious problem."

_Violet eyes sharpened as a hand strayed to wounded leg._

"…Organization Thirteen…"

_The rustle of black leather. Dark clad figures standing haughtily, jeeringly, from the ledge overhead. Vision blurred, and wisps of faint color swirled weakly._

"The Keyblade…a truly magnificent weapon. Were it only in more…capable hands…"

_A disappointed click of a tongue, a scolding finger pointing carelessly in their direction. _

"You need to practice your moves, boy. Or else _he_ disappeared for nothing."

_Walls shone white, looming high above yet never touching ground. Like a fragmented puzzle, reaching towards the vast expanse of sky and the source of Light suspended above_-

"**Kingdom Hearts."**


End file.
